Maldives President-Elect Mohamed Muizzu expressed his desire for the withdrawal of Indian troops from his country during the first week of his presidency.
Muizzu, a candidate of the opposition coalition of the Progressive Party of Maldives and PNC, secured 54% of the votes in the final round of the elections. His campaign prominently featured the promise to remove Indian foreign troops stationed in the Maldives.
“We don’t want any foreign military boots on Maldivian soil… I promised this to the people of the Maldives and I will live up to my promise from day one.”
This promise was a central plank of the opposition’s platform, which had accused the previous administration of being too closely aligned with New Delhi.
Shortly after his electoral victory, Muizzu met with the Indian High Commissioner, Munu Mahawar, who presented a letter from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The contents of the letter were not made public, but the meeting aimed to address the issue of Indian troops’ presence in the Maldives.
During a recent interview with Al Jazeera, Muizzu emphasized his commitment to this issue, stating that he personally raised it with the Indian High Commissioner. He mentioned that discussions with India were underway, and the Indian government had indicated its willingness to work towards a resolution. Muizzu’s presidency is set to begin on November 17 with a formal swearing-in ceremony.
When asked about the timeline for troop withdrawal, Muizzu asserted, “Definitely day one,” and expressed his hope that it could be accomplished within the first week, emphasizing the gravity of the situation for the Maldives.
Muizzu mentioned conflicting reports regarding the number of Indian troops stationed in the Maldives, with estimates ranging from thousands to hundreds. He expressed the need for diplomatic dialogue to resolve this issue and ensure Maldives’ sovereignty.
Geopolitical tensions
The Maldives, known for its idyllic beach holidays and stunning resorts, is now a hotspot of geopolitical rivalries between India and China. The newly elected president, Muizzu, is viewed as more aligned with China’s interests, straining relations with India, the Maldives’ long-standing security and economic partner.
The new president’s approach also raised concerns among the United States and its allies because of China’s increasing influence in the region. India’s membership in the Quad Alliance, alongside the United States, Australia, and Japan, holds significant strategic importance in the region.
Historically, the Maldives has maintained a peaceful stance and has not hosted foreign military forces. The controversy over the alleged presence of Indian troops was initially raised by former President Abdulla Yameen, who demanded their withdrawal. However, Yameen was ousted in the 2019 elections.
Who is Mohamed Muizzu?
Muizzu, a 45-year-old British-educated civil engineer unexpectedly emerged as a presidential candidate following his mentor, Abdulla Yameen’s imprisonment on corruption charges.
While Yameen’s party claims the charges were politically motivated, Muizzu was selected to represent the party in an election where the Maldives’ ties with India and China were a central issue. During his tenure as the Minister of Construction under Yameen, Muizzu oversaw numerous Chinese-funded infrastructure projects in this nation of less than a million people.
Muizzu’s People’s National Congress and coalition partner the Progressive Party of Maldives ran on an “India Out” campaign, calling for less India influence, while outgoing president Solih favored strong ties with India.
However, analysts say fulfilling all of his campaign promises might prove challenging for Muizzu. Maldives may find it hard to entirely cut off India’s deep involvement in the Maldives’ finances, trade, and infrastructure development.
Military cooperation with India to continue
Despite the troop withdrawal request, Muizzu indicated that military cooperation with India would continue.
“I don’t want it to be any different. It is only the sovereignty issue… I will definitely be positive towards development assistance from India.”
He also stressed the importance of addressing the country’s external debt, much of which is from Indian loans. India appeared receptive to discussing refinancing or debt waiver, according to Muizzu. He added that India did not seem inclined to reduce development assistance or investments in the Maldives.