People don’t want presence of foreign soldiers in Maldives: President-elect

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) – Maldives president-elect has vowed to remove any foreign soldier from the island nation, emphasizing on “pro-Maldives” foreign policy, local media reported on Tuesday.

Mohamed Muizzu, who was elected president on Saturday, said: “The people have decided they do not want the presence of foreign soldiers, emphasized no foreign soldiers can stay in Maldives against the people’s wishes,” Male-based Sun News said.

He was addressing his supporters on Monday night in celebration of his victory.

Muizzu won 54% of votes in the runoff vote over the weekend.

“Therefore, what I have to say to the ambassador who will come to meet me is close relations can be maintained based on this condition,” said Muizzu, 45, who is mayor of capital Male.

He reiterated his pledge to uphold Maldives’ independence, emphasizing it as a key reason for his electoral support.

The presence of foreign soldiers was “not the only issue,” he said, adding Maldives’ economy “was enslaved as well.”

“Half of the nation’s debt has been owed to a specific country,” he said, without naming any country.

Muizzu represents the Progressive Party of Maldives led by former President Abdulla Yameen, who is serving 11 years of prison sentence over alleged corruption.

Yameen was moved from a high-security prison island to house arrest in Male, a day after Muizzu won.

It came after incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, 61, ordered transfer of Yameen.

Before being jailed, Yameen had led an “India-out” campaign to oust India’s deployment of a small number of soldiers who operate four reconnaissance aircraft.

New Delhi has gifted the aircraft to the archipelago.

Muizzu has vowed to carry along people from all sides.

“No matter their political affiliation, they are all Maldivian citizens in front of me,” Muizzu told supporters after his win late Saturday.

“They are entitled to the same rights. They are entitled to equality in everything,” he added.