The President of Maldives National Party (MNP) and the party's presidential candidate Mohamed Nazim has said that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has lost his status to rule the country.
Earlier in April, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas (ITLOS) ruled on a maritime dispute between the Maldives and Mauritius, awarding a significant portion of the overlapping area to Mauritius despite the Maldives receiving the larger share. The opposition sees the ruling as a loss and alleges that it was influenced by an official letter sent by President Solih to the Mauritius PM, recognizing the Chagos as part of Mauritius.
Speaking at a mass rally at Male' Carnival area on Friday night against the Maldives losing part of its territory to Mauritius, Nazim declared his intention to seek legal action against President Solih. He described the Maldives government as having been "compromised" and in the hands of select individuals. He alleged that part of the Maldives' waters was sold to Mauritius, benefiting a specific group. Describing the move as a betrayal to the nation, Nazim said the government has largely failed.
According to Nazim, the government had made grave mistakes in handling the territorial dispute with Mauritius. He said the government is irresponsibly hiding these mistakes by distributing money to various parties and exploiting the state treasury and the media.
Nazim went on to say that President Solih had lost the "moral authority" to lead the nation and called for his immediate resignation. He said even if President Solih remained in the government, he would take him to court.
"These actions show cowardice, nothing but cowardice," Nazim said.
Nazim also spoke about the letter sent by President Solih to the Prime Minister of Mauritius concerning Chagos and said the letter was unlawful. The President does not hold the exclusive authority to make decisions on matters that impact the country's interest, he said, adding that the President should take full responsibility for the damage caused by the sale of the maritime region.
"The sea area sold for a few dollars is as big as Switzerland," Nazim said.
The former army colonel said the loss of the area had a detrimental impact on the livelihood of local fishermen and said that the area is also strategically important for the Maldives from a military point of view. He reminded the Maldivian people that it was their duty to restore the lost portion of their waters.
"Today, we are fighting to get back what was stolen from the people. We are here together in unity. Together, we will defeat this government," Nazim said.
