The opposing Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail has said that the government has to be responsible for the lies told against India.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu is currently on a state visit to New Delhi, India, at the invitation of Indian President Droupadi Murmu. Several key agreements have been signed between both countries as part of the visit.
In a social media post, Fayyaz said the current government spread several blatant lies against India to secure victory in the 2023 presidential election. He emphasized that the government overnment must be held responsible for the damages caused to the Maldivian people due to these false narrative.
Fayyaz said President Dr. Muizzu’s current diplomatic engagements with India demonstrates the importance of maintaining strong ties with neighboring countries to safeguard mutual interests. He said it is now evident that the false claims against India made by the PNC-PPM coalition during the election were merely fear-mongering tactics.
Fayyaz referred to the the hydrography agreement signed during the President's visit to India, along with the UTF, infrastructure projects in Addu City, and talks on establishing an Indian consulate in Addu City show that the government’s previous rhetoric against India was baseless and irresponsible.
“Alienating the Maldives from its closest ally caused economic and political damage,” Fayyaz said, adding that false accusations against India had hindered the country from overcoming the economic crisis it faces, and damaged the Maldives' credibility in the financial markets.
"President Muizzu's negligence has tarnished the Maldives’ reputation internationally. Ordinary citizens have suffered the consequences," Fayyaz said.
