Minister of Defence and National Security Adam Shareef has declared that foreign nations are planning to influence the upcoming presidential elections this September 23.

Honouring a youth forum hosted by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, the defence minister stated that invasive forces have been working on destabilizing and influencing civil matters and that the youth must actively voice against such forces from doing so. Minister added that certain individuals have betrayed the country in greed of power.

The minister declared that the external forces in question are looking to spread religions other than Islam, the state religion in the Maldives, and that the country will never cease to sustain the notion of a 100 percent Muslim nation. Minister Adam Shareef also claimed that these forces are not looking to influence civic matters because of the issues faced by the country, but for their personal agendas.

The forum saw the involvement of civic organizations, college unions, private companies and the National Counter Terrorism Centre. The forum is set to run until Tuesday evening.