Male: Maldives' new President Mohamed Waheed
Hassan on Wednesday denied that a coup had unseated his predecessor
and said Mohamed Nasheed resigned after realising that he had
lost the confidence of people and the administration, in
particular the law and order enforcement arms.
The President had given an interview to a UK radio
network and his office issued a statement about it today.
"The interview clarifies the recent events in the country
which made the previous President, Mohammed Nasheed, realise
that he had lost the confidence of the people as well as that
of his own administration, in particular the critical law and
order enforcement arms."
"On his own accord, he submitted his resignation,
although he later claimed he had been ousted in a violent
'coup'," the statement said.
Waheed was former President Nasheed's running mate in the
2008 general election, the country's first, which they won,
defeating President Gayoom who had been ruling the country for
30 years with an iron hand, it said.
"And I deny any allegation that there has been a coup
here; you are most welcome to come to find out for yourself. I
welcome anyone who wants to come and find out the facts on the
ground. You know, we are all open for you to look at what
happened," Waheed was quoted as saying in the statement.
He said he wants to move forward to a unity government.
"This interview dispels former president Mohammed
Nasheed's concocted story that he was forced out of office by
a military coup," the statement said.
It said the need of the hour is "for the former
president's party to respond positively and work hand in hand
with the national unity government for the larger interest of
the Maldives".
The Maldives' first freely elected president, Nasheed had
resigned on February 7 after what his party called a "coup
d'etat" orchestrated by opposition leaders with the backing of
security forces in the holiday paradise.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 22:26