Opposition leader and Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said that the Maldivian government’s foreign policies are dictated by ‘paymasters’ in Saudi Arabia.
In a tweet following the Foreign Ministry’s announcement on Monday, Nasheed said that the Maldives’ should return to depending on its traditional allies in South Asia.
Maldives foreign policy now dictated by President Yameen's paymasters in Riyadh. Maldives should return to traditional South Asian alliances
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) June 5, 2017
Nasheed’s tweet follows a statement from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which he founded, condemning the decision and describing as one that is reckless and endangers Maldives’ socio-economic growth.
"Similar to his decision to break ties with Iran and in leaving the Commonwealth in 2016, President Yameen’s decision to break 33 years’ of diplomatic ties with Qatar was taken unilaterally, without any regard for Maldivian public interest or opinion. The MDP is deeply concerned by President Yameen’s reckless foreign policy decisions, which appear to be increasingly dictated by Riyadh” the statement further said.
The government’s announcement came hours after Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations severed ties with Qatar, claiming that the nation’s policies fuel terrorism and radical ideologies.
