Male: The Maldives president Abdulla Yameen is facing a political storm now. The jailing this week of a former ally and questions about missing money are the new issues haunting him. One reason for Yameen’s troubles is Mohamed Nasheed, the first democratically elected president, who was ousted in what was in effect a coup in 2012. Nasheed was jailed after overblown charges were levelled against him. But foreign pressure recently secured his passage to London for medical treatment. There he has loudly highlighted his country’s democratic shortcomings.
Nasheed is supported by a high-profile lawyer, Amal Clooney, who has helped strengthen the backing of Britain’s prime minister, David Cameron, for the cause of Maldivian democracy. The islands’ government is furious with Nasheed. Ministers have come to London to prevent the Commonwealth from suspending the Maldives’ membership and to fight off European calls for targeted sanctions unless political prisoners are freed and a deal reached with the opposition.
But the 12-year sentence handed down on February 17 to Imran Abdulla, head of an Islamist party, has undone their work. He also was charged with terrorism for a speech at a rally in last May in support of Nasheed - even though he used it to call for calm. Officials who blame Nasheed for all the trouble were not willing to explain how $79m disappeared from the state tourism body. Yameen’s former vice-president, Ahmed Adeeb, has been arrested for that, as well as for an explosion on the president’s yacht.
The opposition alleges that Yameen is implicated in the tourism scandal, as well as in an alleged money-laundering scheme involving the central bank. With outside pressure growing, the president, who denies any wrongdoing, has not much options open.
Maldives envoy in New Delhi, Ahmed Mohamed said, “We are not immune to the dangers of radicalisation along with many other countries around the globe. We have that issue, we admit to the fact that there are Maldivians involved in the Iran and Syria conflicts. What we are doing is engaging with many other intelligence agencies. We have a good arrangement with our neighbours, especially with India and other regional, middle eastern countries and western countries in sharing intelligence.”
Talking against Nasheed's activities in the UK, he said, Nasheed has misused his opportunity to deceitfully tarnish the reputation of Maldives.” Adding, “By damaging the reputation of the Maldives government and his constitutional offices, Nasheed very conveniently forgets that he is exercising his freedom of speech because he has been given a diplomatic passport to travel abroad and if as he says human rights is in danger, he would not be sitting in the UK.”
