Colombo: Former Maldivian president Mohamed
Nasheed has said that he was "shocked" at the Indian and US
government's rapid decision to recognise the new regime after
he was ousted in the February 7 "coup".
On his first visit to Sri Lanka after the change of
regime in the Maldives to seek assistance for his
pro-democracy campaign, Nasheed said "It was shocking to see
how rapidly the Indian and the US government stepped in to
recognise the new regime - the coup."
"I think that it took them a while to understand what was
going on and then they found out it was not possible to
maintain the present order. These two governments have made
many re-alignments in their policies. It was disappointing at
the beginning," Nasheed was quoted as saying by Sunday
Observer.
India and the US had quickly recognised President Mohamed
Waheed's government after Nasheed's ouster.
He asked the present government in the country to declare
early elections to restore democracy to end the political
turmoil in the Maldives.
"They have come to a point that elections are very
important," he said apparently referring to India and the US.
During his meetings here with Sri Lankan political
leaders and also Colombo-based diplomats, Nasheed said there
was no need to change the country's constitution to go for an
early election.
"We want to advocate an early election and we want to see
a thorough investigation into the coup and the transfer of
power with international participation. We also want to see
democracy back on track in the Maldives. We have been speaking
to the diplomatic community and the Sri Lankan government
here," he said.
Explaining the why there was a need to 'rush' for an
early election he said it was because the present government
leads to a dictatorship.
"Governments are supposed to be formed with the consent
of the people. They are supposed to formulate government
policies and who should govern there," Nasheed said.
"In the absence of that, what we have is a consolidation
of a dictatorship. When governments are established without
legitimacy, there is more room for dictatorship to take root.
Therefore, we ought to have elections as quickly as possible,"
he said.
Nasheed had blamed a military coup for his downfall where
he was forced to resign as president.
He was Mohamed Waheed's government.
He had became the island nation's first democratically
elected president in multi-party elections held for the first
time in the island in 2008.
Nasheed yesterday also pitched for a referendum in
his country over the legitimacy of Waheed's government.
PTI
First Published: Monday, March 26, 2012, 00:23