President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said last night that, as agreed, Indian military personnel based on the second platform has left the Maldives last Thursday.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said last night that, as agreed, Indian military personnel based on the second platform has left the Maldives last Thursday.
He confirmed that the final batch of Indian military personnel will also be leaving the Maldives on the agreed date, by May 10.
The agreement between Maldives and India is to replace the Indian military personnel stationed in Maldives to oversee the operations of the military aircraft the country has gifted with trained civilians also from India.
The President made this announcement while speaking last night at a campaign rally held in Hithadhoo, Addu held last night in preparation for the upcoming April 21 Parliamentary Election.
"There is only one platform left. As the two countries have already signed, they [the remaining Indian military personnel] will also be recalled ahead of May 10. They will leave," the President said.
"So that pledge is fulfilled, isn't it? All foreign military here will leave before May 10. So any pledge I make, I will work to fulfill to the greatest extent."
The President went on to say that there remains more that needs to be done to guarantee Maldives' independence, and that to do this, he requires cooperation from the parliament.
He explained the reasons why this cooperation is necessary, saying that it is for amending agreements with various other countries, amending laws, and passing new laws.
"All this can be achieved through electing to parliament MPs who are of the belief that they want Maldivians to experience the sense of their own independence. That is the ideology of 'Dhiveheenge Raajje' [Maldivian's Maldives - ruling party People's National Congress (PNC)'s campaign slogan in last year's presidential election]. We are calling this Maldivian's Maldives. Not Foreigner's Maldives. So in a Maldivian's Maldives, priority will be given to Maldivians. Our policy is being pro-Maldives," the President asserted.
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