unrest in maldives
‘ We don ’ t need nudges and
For decades , Maldives has mostly been famous for the pristine beauty of its islands ; its breathtaking atolls remain a magnetic draw for high-end tourists from the West . Since 2008 , when the country adopted its new constitution and held its first , free and fair presidential elections , its political developments have also started making headlines . As the country goes through its latest round of political crisis — President Abdulla Yameen has recently arrested supreme court judges and opposition lea ders , and declared a state of Emergency — concerns have been voiced in South Asia and beyond about the future of Maldives ’ nascent democratic institutions , especia lly the beseiged judiciary . Ahmed Mohamed , 48 , Maldives ’ ambassador to India , spoke to Pranay Sharma about the crisis and the best possible way to defuse it . Excerpts from the interview .
What chances are there for foreign powers to intervene in Maldives ? A situation that warrants foreign military intervention is non-existent in Maldives . We are going through a constitutional crisis , which the state of Maldives is trying to address . There is no civil war nor a massacre , and there is hardly a situation where foreigners are in distress . But different sections are talking about the need for a military intervention in Maldives . Yes , it is being talked about in the media by non-actors or non-decision makers — some retired diplomats or military officials or by sections of political parties . If you compare the situation of 1988 — when India intervened after foreign mercenaries attacked Maldives and the government of the day requested Indian intervention — with the situation today , it is different . Some people are trying to put in a similar request for their self-interest . If it were to happen , what will be Maldives ’ reaction ? Then again , the question is whether a responsible government will do that when the situation that warrants such action does not exist . In your assessment , what is the core of the present crisis ?
The core of the crisis is a situation where the Supreme Court has appropriated powers that are not theirs as per the constitution of Maldives . What will that be ? The court order of February 1 is deficient in many ways . The Supreme Court has taken the law into its own hands . It says the judicial commission of Maldives has no power to investigate or undertake any disciplinary measure against SC justices , while the constitution clearly says the commission has the mandate to do so . Was that the only issue ? No , there is the matter relating to nine prisoners who the SC said should be released immediately . Their trials had gone through different levels and the SC had also upheld the ruling of sub-ordin ate courts . But without any fresh hearing or evidence it now demanded their release . So the Supreme Court over-stepped its jurisdiction ? Could the chief justice not have been dismissed rather than being arrested ? Yes , he over-stepped , but his dismissal is not that easy . The president cannot dismiss the chief justice . Only the judicial commission can , but the supreme court tried to overrule that provision of the constitution . So what happened ? The judges tried to stop the judicial commission from investigating them on bribery charges . Further investigations showed there was a serious attempt to overthrow the government and some judges were bribed to do so .
14 Outlook 26 February 2018