Narendra Modi, Indian Prime Minister has called on the government of Maldives to restore independent judiciary as well as to pave way for democracy in the nation ahead of September's election.
Times of India reports that the PM, via an email interview, told them that “political developments in the Maldives have been a matter of considerable international concern”.
Citing Modi, the online newspaper wrote that India hopes the government of Maldives will ensure “early resumption of political process” and “allow democratic institutions, including the judiciary to function independently in a fair and transparent manner.” Indian Prime Minister had added that this will pave way for a 'conducive environment' for September polls.
While PM Modi has expressed his concerns over the political turmoil that has taken the country by storm, the European Union as well as the United Nations also continue to encourage the government of Maldives to step up democratic reforms and recover the political environment of the country with the EU even having announced its decision to impose sanctions on certain entities and bodies that the EU deems are responsible for rights abuses or influencing free and fair elections from taking place, undermine rule of law and obstruct the finding of a political solution in the country, and focus these sanctions on two areas which are, travel bans and asset freezes.
Neighboring India had at first expressed concern over the crackdown following the nation-wide state of emergency declared by President Abdulla Yameen on the 5th of February having refused to obey a Supreme Court ruling that issued the release of detained political prisoners and re-instatement of unseated opposition lawmakers.
Indian authorities had even called on the government of Maldives to release jailed and sentenced Supreme Court ex-Chief of Justice Abdulla Saeed and ex-Justice Ali Hameed following their inhumane arrests mere hours after the State of Emergency was declared.
India’s relations with the Maldives have been especially sour since the Maldives’s government came closer to China in the past few year.
