Washington: Expressing concern about the
disorderly protests in Maldives and the disruption of the
opening session of its Parliament, the United States hoped
that various parties in this island nation would be able to
resolve their differences peacefully.
"We were again welcoming the fact that all sides are
trying to resolve the political impasse through a dialogue on
a new democratic process. We are encouraging everybody to be
non-violent and to take advantage of that dialogue that's
ongoing," the State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland
told reporters at her daily news conference yesterday.
In an interview to a Maldivian news channel, the Assistant
Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake
hoped that all parties would come together to peacefully
resolve the issue.
"I hope all the parties can come together and try to work
through these difficult issues and do so in a peaceful and
constructive manner," he told TV Maldives in an interview,
according to the transcripts provided by the State Department.
"We welcome the efforts that all sides are making to find
a peaceful way forward in the Maldives, and we also welcome
the ongoing dialogue among Maldivians regarding the role of a
unity government in addressing issues of common interest,
including a democratisation process that would create the
conditions for potential early elections," Blake said.
The US official asked the parties to enact the needed
reforms and engage in constructive dialogue for prioritising
the best interests of the country, while not allowing violence
to further complicate the situation.
The US, he said, continues to believe that there are
outstanding questions regarding the transfer of power that
took place on February 7.
The United States believes that an independent
investigation is the best way to determine what actually
happened and reach a conclusion that will allow Maldivians to
move forward with a unity government.
"So, we very much welcome the appointment of a Maldivian
National Inquiry Commission, and again, we hope that
Commission can move forward expeditiously to conduct its
investigation and tell the Maldivian people of its findings,"
Blake said.
"I think it is really up for the Maldivians to conduct a
dialogue among themselves. As you know, I was there about two
weeks ago, and we're always happy to help in any way we can to
encourage the parties to work together.
However, he added that it is an incumbent right now on all
the leaders of the parties to try to forge an agreement in the
interests of the people, keeping aside their narrow, partisan
interests.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 02, 2012, 16:12