During a tour of the country, former president Abdulla Yameen has called on the Maldivian government to hold a referendum to seek public approval for the Indian military’s continued presence on the island nation, advancing the opposition-led “India Out” campaign against President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
The opposition coalition launched the “India Out” campaign in 2018 to criticise the government’s decision to sign “secret agreements” with India and allow it to establish military bases in the Maldives. The government’s perceived pro-India stance has led to several protests, including one in January 2021 that saw several demonstrators gathered outside the Indian High Commissioner’s residence and holding up “India out” placards.
The movement gained significant traction last month as campaigners voiced their opposition to allowing India to open a consulate in southern Addu, arguing that this will pave the way for India to further expand its military presence.
Speaking to a crowd gathered to support the movement on Sunday, Yameen said the government derives power from the people and thus should listen to the needs and demands of Maldivians. He declared, “The people do not want the Indian military here.” Keeping this in mind, he reminded the crowd that the President has the right to hold referendums, and thus called on the ruling government to put its pro-India policy to the test.
In response to the campaign’s growing momentum, the government said it is “profoundly concerned” about the opposition’s attempts to spread “misguided and unsubstantiated information to propagate hatred towards India.” It noted that India remains one of the Maldives’ “closest bilateral partners.” The government release posited that the movement is not reflective of public opinion about India but merely of a “small group of individuals and a few political personalities.” Furthermore, the government warned against “tarnishing” relations with long-standing allies, saying that the movement could impact the safety and security of the Maldives and citizens living abroad.
Yameen’s remarks come just weeks after he was released from house arrest following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn his money laundering and embezzlement conviction. It was claimed that he acquired funds for the tourism department by leasing resort development rights and subsequently laundered the proceeds. However, the Court said there was a lack of sufficient evidence to convict Yameen. Since then, he has amplified his support for the “India Out” movement to cement his position as a strong opposition candidate in the 2023 election.
Yameen served as president of the island nation from 2013 to 2018. He played a monumental role in the ousting of Mohamed Nasheed, the Maldives’ first democratically elected leader. Yameen’s administration was criticised for jailing opposition leaders, with several forced into exile, and for silencing the media and dissent. Maldives’ historically pro-India stance also withered under Yameen, who sought closer ties with China and signed agreements that have left the country with over $2 billion in debt owed to the East Asian giant.