Maldives: India welcomes all party meet

New Delhi, Feb 18 (IBNS) India has welcomed Maldives government's decision to hold discussions with all relevant parties to conduct elections at an early date.

The Office of the President of the Republic of Maldives, Mohamed Waheed, issued a press release on Friday that talked about adoption of ´Roadmap- a Possible Way Forward´.

"We have seen the press release on the website of the Office of the President of the Republic of Maldives, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Waheed, welcoming the agreement of all Political Parties ´to the blueprint that restores calm to our Islands and sets out the next steps for our nation - Roadmap for a Possible Way Forward´," said the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

"We welcome the Press Release which is as per the understanding arrived at during the Foreign Secretary's consultations in Maldives with all concerned Parties. We note that the Attorney General of Maldives had made a public announcement in the news bulletin of the evening of 16th February 2012 on the understanding," said the spokesperson.

"We look forward to all Parties, including the Maldives Democratic Party, to act in accordance with the agreement reached to enable the process to move forward as envisaged," he said.

The press release issued by the Maldives President´s Office read: "In addition, in the interests of national reconciliation and to encourage harmony between our citizens, the Government of National Unity will hold discussions with all relevant Parties to conduct elections at an early date. The Government of National Unity will work towards the conditions that will permit such elections to take place including any necessary constitutional amendments."

Earlier on Feb 9, an advisor to former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, who was ousted on Feb 7 in an apparent military coup, said that India needed to clearly state which side it supported as political turmoil in the neighbouring island nation continued.

"India needs to get off the fence...India needs to decide who it supports," Paul Roberts, the former communications aide to Nasheed, said, speaking to an Indian television news network.

New Delhi has maintained a largely neutral stand, stating that the change of power in Maldives is an internal matter of the island nation in the Indian Ocean, refusing reported appeals of military intervention by the ousted administration.

According to media reports, some of Nasheed's ministers had asked for military assistance from India when the coup was underway, but their request fell on deaf ears even though islands are home to about 30,000 Indians, and India has strategic and commercial interests in Maldives.

Sources in New Delhi claimed that there wasn't any indication of a 'serious proposal' from the Malidivian government, however India has been working behind the scenes to ensure that the new government took complete responsibility of law and order during the situation.

A news release from the Indian government, however, said that following the transition of power in Maldives Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Feb 8 told the new President Mohammed Waheed Hassan that that New Delhi is committed to working with Male.

Waheed Hassan spoke to Singh on telephone within 24 hours of taking charge and the Indian Prime Minister underlining that India and Maldives share "common security interests", the government release said.

Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed on Feb 7 resigned after public protests disrupted the island nation for weeks over the President´s order to arrest a senior judge of the country.

He announced his resignation in a TV address to the nation.

The nation witnessed violent street protests over the order given by Nasheed to arrest the chief judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed.

Nasheed had ordered to arrest Mohammed after had directed to release a government critic. He had called the arrest as illegal.