New Delhi: Maldives’ new president, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, has asked India for help building housing, water and sewage infrastructure in outlying islands.
His request was put across during Solih’s meetingon Saturday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who promised to help fulfil the coalition government’s “pledges”.
At around 5pm on November 17, Solih was sworn in as the seventh president of Maldives by the chief justice at the National Stadium in Malé. Since the ceremony took place during a parliamentary session, it was presided over by the speaker and ruling coalition leader Gasim Ibrahim. Modi was the only head of state present.
The notable absentee among Maldivian leaders was Solih’s predecessor, Abdulla Yameen, who announced a boycott of the ceremony on Friday night.
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With his plane landed in Malé in the afternoon, Modi had finally visited all of India’s regional neighbours. He had been unable to tick Maldives off the list because of Yameen’s pro-China tilt and his incarceration of opposition leaders, which created a serious trust deficit over the last five years.
After entering the national stadium, Modi greeted former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed with hugs. He was seated between the two Maldivian leaders, who had both been sent to prison by Yameen.
Exactly five years ago, Gayoom and Nasheed had attended a similar presidential inauguration in the Majlis (parliament), but in very different circumstances. Nasheed had been defeated in the 2013 elections by Yameen, who had the firm backing of his half-brother Gayoom. Now, Gayoom and Nasheed are allies.
The front row seats for VIP guests was also populated by former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, former Maldivian President Mohamed Waheed and special envoys from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
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Sri Lanka, which has now two claimants to the prime minister’s post, was represented by Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son Namal and two ministers in his cabinet. They, however, sat in a separate enclosure.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Solih said in his first speech that “reforming the judicial system will be one of the highest priority areas” of his administration.
With most opposition leaders and even members of Yameen’s cabinet having been sentenced by the courts, Solih noted that there was a pressing urgency for judicial reform, which would enhance the accountability of the Supreme Court.
The new president also used the pulpit of the inauguration ceremony to announce that the Maldives was in a financial crisis due to “reckless mega development projects undertaken purely for political gains”. He was pointing a finger at Yameen, who had backed major projects sponsored by loans from China and Gulf states.
“Large-scale embezzlement and corruption have dwindled the coffers of the state by billions of rufiyaa. This money belongs to the Maldivian people, money that should have been spent for the common good of the people,” he said.
Maldives president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Credit: Maldives government website
Solih noted that since the “precise scale and amount of financial loss” was unclear, international support and assistance would be needed to make a proper assessment of flight of assets from the Maldives.
Several opposition leaders, including Nasheed, had suggested that Maldives’ debt to the Chinese could amount to $3 billion.
There is no precise picture because several key ministries, including finance and infrastructure, did not share their files with the transition team. It is speculated that the figure of $3 billion includes Chinese loans to private companies for which the Maldives government had given a sovereign guarantee.
The extent of Chinese influence was clear in November 2017, when Yameen-controlled parliament accelerated the ratification process of the China-Maldives free trade agreement.
Maldives had sent a special envoy in January this year to soothe over ruffled feathers in India, but there were not many takers in Delhi of Yameen’s reiteration of an ‘India first’ policy.
Therefore, despite the stay of only a few hours, Indian prime minister’s participation at the ceremony was a signal that New Delhi wanted to quickly consolidate its advantage from Yameen’s electoral defeat.
Immediately after the oath-taking ceremony, Solih welcomed Modi at the presidential office for their first bilateral meeting.
As per the joint press statement, Solih again raised the “dire economic situation facing the country as he takes office” with the Indian leader.
There was discussion on ways India could help the “new government in meeting its pledges to the people of the Maldives”.
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There is an urgent need to improve housing and infrastructure in the outer islands of Maldives, which are less populated and could also reduce stress on densely-inhabited Malé.
“In particular, President Solih highlighted the pressing need for increased housing and infrastructure development as well as for establishing water and sewerage systems in the outlying islands,” said the press statement.
Modi assured Solih of India’s “readiness to extend help in every possible way and suggested that both sides should meet at the earliest to work out details as per requirements of the Maldives”.
During Yameen’s regime, Indian investors had shied away after the unilateral dissolution of GMR group’s contract to develop and operate Malé international airport in 2012. Similarly, Yameen’s government had stopped processing work visas for Indian nationals earlier this year, which had led to several people losing their jobs.
In a sign of the change in mood, Modi spoke of “expanding opportunities for Indian companies” to invest in Maldives.
The joint statement added both countries also agreed on the need to facilitate “easier visa procedures”.
There was also a mention of “renewal of the close bonds of cooperation and friendship with the election of Mr Solih as the President of the Maldives,” which was a direct jibe at Yameen.
In his speech, the Maldivian president claimed that Maldives had been alienated from the international community.
Stating that Maldives foreign policy will be shaped by human rights, democracy and climate change diplomacy, Solih said that relations with be strengthened with India and neighbouring countries to ensure security in the Indian Ocean region.
The joint press statement dwelled on this strategic nature of India-Maldivian relations. “During their meeting, both leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean and being mindful of each other’s concerns and aspirations for the stability of the region,” said the statement.
The two leaders also “expressed their unwavering commitment and support for increased cooperation in combating terrorism both within the region and elsewhere”. Maldives has one of the highest per capita figure of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq.
The meeting between the two heads of states lasted less than half an hour, before Modi left directly for the airport. The Indian prime minister was seen off by speaker Gasim Ibrahim, who had also welcomed him on arrival.
In toto, Modi spent around four hours in the Indian Ocean nation. Solih asked him to make a proper official visit, to which Modi agreed.
The Maldivian leader will visit India in December, his first foreign destination as president. Ahead of this, Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid will be in Delhi on November 26 to prepare for the state visit.
After the bilateral meeting, a 19-member cabinet, including six women, were sworn in at the presidential office. Maldives will have its first woman defence minister in Mariya Didi, and Gayoom’s daughter Yumna Maumoon will be culture minister.
While the Maldivian Democratic Party has got the majority of ministerial portfolios, coalition members have also got important posts. Islamist Adhaalath Party chief Sheikh Imran Abdulla is the home minister.
Resort tycoon and parliamentary speaker Gasim Ibrahim’s Jumhoree party has been allotted ministries of transport and civil aviation, health, environment, communication and tourism.