New Delhi: India on Friday asked all Maldivian political parties to exercise restraint and to continue discussions to find a peaceful and viable solution as agreed under the roadmap.
Asked about the developments in Maldives that witnessed fresh violence yesterday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin "urged all parties to maintain
calm and to exercise restraint".
The Maldivian Parliament witnessed unruly scenes
yesterday as lawmakers belonging to former president Mohammed
Nasheed`s MDP prevented President Mohamed Waheed from
delivering the customary opening address and blocked Speaker
Abdulla Shahid from entering the chamber.
There was also violence outside the Majlis as MDP
supporters clashed with the police.
The MEA spokesperson "encouraged them to exercise their
responsibilities to the Maldivian people and to continue
necessary discussions under the All Party Consultative
Committee and the People`s Majlis (parliament) to find a
peaceful and viable solution as agreed under the Roadmap."
Akbaruddin reiterated India`s position that this was an
internal matter of the Maldives, to be resolved by Maldivians
in a peaceful and democratic manner.
India, he said, "stood ready to assist the government and
people of Maldives in any manner necessary".
Yesterday`s protests came a day after Foreign Secretary
Ranjan Mathai ended his two-day visit during which he held
talks with various stakeholders to hammer out a solution to
the political crisis here.
India had helped broker a deal under which President
Waheed agreed to a roadmap for elections ahead of the
scheduled November 2013 date.
No dates have been announced for elections in the island
nation, where Nasheed was voted to power 2008 as their first
democratically elected president ending over 30 years of reign
of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
PTI
