President-elect Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said on Wednesday that the most pressing issue that needs to be resolved once he assumes office is the relationship the country has with India. He expressed confidence that this issue can be successfully resolved.
In an exclusive interview with Mihaaru News, Dr. Muizzu, who was elected president for the next five years with 54 percent of the vote in the second round of the presidential election held on Saturday, highlighted that the country's major foreign relations issues are linked to India. He pointed out that these issues stem from agreements made between the Maldivian government and the Indian government.
"Those things are the most important. Therefore, addressing them must be our priority. We can either approach them first, or they will come to us," the president-elect said.
He noted that although a meeting with the Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives has not been scheduled yet, he is aware that they have requested a meeting through the Maldives' Foreign Ministry.
"I'm prepared. I also wish to discuss potential solutions for any issues we can address during this transition period. I expect them to be prepared to take action on these matters after our discussions, so they can be ready to work when we officially begin," Dr. Muizzu said.
He said that a lot of issues can be resolved with India in a diplomatic and constructive manner.
While the parliament has begun preparations for Dr. Muizzu's inauguration on November 17, his Advisor and diplomatic expert Mohamed Hussain Shareef has said his first official foreign trip will be to India.
When questioned about it, Dr. Muizzu stated that all previous presidents have made their first visit to India, and he believes this tradition should continue. He said that, given the current situation, it would be ideal for him to make his first trip to India. However, they still have not made a decision on the matter.
During the election campaign, Dr. Muizzu, along with the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and People’s National Congress (PNC), strongly advocated for the return of Indian military personnel currently stationed in the Maldives. This was one of his victory pledges as well. In the celebratory ceremony held on Monday evening, Dr. Muizzu reassured the public that his administration would actively work to facilitate the return of the military officials to India.
Dr. Muizzu highlighted several issues between the Maldives and India, including Maldives’ significant debt dependence on India and the presence of Indian troops, which raises concerns about the nation’s independence. He said that if a unified approach is applied to address these issues, the Maldives would not encounter any problems.
"If we don't have foreign troops, we do not have any problems. If we have the freedom to speak for ourselves in the affairs of our country and what our country has to say on other platforms in the world, then we would not have issues with any country in the world,” Dr. Muizzu said.
When asked how Dr. Muizzu would adopt a uniform policy while implementing Indian projects, especially considering how PPM has previously ran “India Out” campaign calling to expel their presence from the country, the president elect replied that he had no issues with the projects themselves. Rather, his issues lie within the problems these projects have.
"For example, when The Hanimaadhoo Airport is built, there will be engineers there. But it doesn't have to be [Indian] soldiers. Being a soldier is the problem. We have to ask them to sort it out. It has to be sorted out. Civilians have to do be there to work. Even if they don't wear the uniforms, the problem is that there are military personnel," Dr. Muizzu said.
He said that he was elected to ascertain the independence of the nation and the people of Maldives have spoken. Therefore, he believes everyone will respect the decision made by the people.
When asked about how Dr. Muizzu was painted as one that would favour China during his administration by international media, or that he is “pro China,” he said that his policies were “pro Maldives”.'
He said they will continue to have close relations with China, India, the United States of America, the Middle East and other neighbouring countries as well. Dr. Muizzu said the only issue would be related to the country's independence. These include the presence of foreign troops in the country and debt dependency on one country.
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