The leader of the Jumhoori Party, Gasuim Ibrahim, has encouraged Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu to pursue “diplomatic reconciliation” in order to repair bilateral relations, as well as to formally apologize to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Gasuim’s demand was in response to comments made earlier in the month by Muizzu, who is thought to be pro-China, in which the country of India was called a bully.
“We may be small, but this doesn’t give them the license to bully us,” President Muizzu said on January 13, upon his return from a five-day high-profile state visit to China, amid a diplomatic spat with India sparked by disparaging social media posts made by three of his ministers against Prime Minister Modi.
By the way, the demand was made the day after the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the primary opposition party and the majority party in the Maldivian Parliament, announced on Monday that it would be filing a resolution to remove Muizzu from office.
In September of last year, Muizzu, 45, emerged victorious over incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who was friendly with India.
Speaking to the media following a Jumhoori Party (JP) meeting, Gasuim urged President Muizzu to formally apologize to India and Prime Minister Modi for his recent, contentious remarks made in an interview, according to the Voice of Maldives website.
The digital site stated that Gasuim, who was concerned about the remarks, asked President Muizzu to ask India for pardon for the oblique jabs he made during the interview.
Gasuim pointed out that former President Ibrahim Solih, who was in office at the time, “delayed in opposing the campaign” and linked such unjustified comments to former President Abdulla Yameen, who started the “India Out” campaign that caused tensions between the Maldives and India.
Muizzu recommended lowering reliance on India in a number of sectors, including medications and medical services, after he returned from China. According to Gasuim, Muizzu suggested looking into substitutes from Europe, America, or the medicine’s home country instead of continuing to acquire general medications from India.
Then, pointing out India’s important role and proficiency in these areas, Gasuim stated that such a move might not be feasible. “We can’t do that because India is better in those areas, and they even export medicine to Europe.”
The Maldives’ relationship with India is further complicated by Muizzu’s recent remarks, and according to the portal, Gasuim Ibrahim called for “diplomatic reconciliation through a formal apology to mend bilateral relations.”
Muizzu has already received requests for him to reconcile with India. Concerning the Muizzu government’s “anti-India stance,” the MDP and the Democrats referred to India as their “most long-standing ally” on January 24.
The two parties’ outspoken support for India came the day after the Maldives government announced that a Chinese ship, outfitted for conducting surveys and research, will be docking at a Maldivian port following permission to make a port call for resupply.
The Chinese ship’s authorization was granted amidst fragile relations between India and the Maldives following President Muizzu’s first port of call in Beijing early this month, shortly after taking office. Historically, the first stop for a newly elected Maldivian president has been New Delhi.
Muizzu officially asked India to remove 88 military soldiers from the Maldives by March 15, shortly after assuming office as president on November 17. He claimed the Maldivians had given him a “strong mandate” to make this request to New Delhi.