New Maldives president renews India ties

IBRAHIM Mohamed Solih took office as the new Maldives president on Saturday and immediately warned of a “dire” economic crisis as he turned to India for help, signalling an end to the pro-China stance of his predecessor.

Solih, 54, emerged as a common candidate for the opposition that united to oust strongman leader Abdulla Yameen in a September election.

I n d i a’s Pr i me Mini s t e r Narendra Modi was the most high-profile guest at the inauguration and the pair pledged to work together on the problems faced by the nation of small islands and atolls.

Solih briefed Modi “on the dire economic situation facing t he count r y as he ta kes office”, said a joint statement. He hig hl ig hted t he cr it ica l state of t he Maldives’ housing, water and infrastructure systems.

It added that Modi promised “to help the new government in meeting its pledges to the people of the Maldives”.

India has been the country’s traditional main ally but Yameen became close to China and the Maldives saw its foreign debt balloon to more than $1.2 billion during his five years in power.

The Solih-Modi statement indicated a reversal of the proBeijing policy by the country which relies on tourists visiting its sun-kissed beaches.

“The two leaders, while noting t he resilience of t he relations bet ween India and the Maldives, ex pressed con f idence in t he renewa l of t he close bonds of cooperat ion and friendship wit h t he election of Mr Solih as t he president of t he Ma ld i v e s,” i t said.

Modi watched as Solih was sworn in at a special parliament session held at the National Football Stadium in the capital Male.

The Maldives foreign ministry said China’s culture minister Luo Shugang was also an invitee.

Leading dissidents and opposition figures were jailed or forced into exile by Yameen, who took power in a controversial 2013 election.

India and Western nations had watched with concern as Yameen also moved closer to Beiji ng wh ich loa ned t he st r ateg ic a l l y placed a rch ipelago hundreds of millions of dol la rs for roads, br idges and work at the main internat iona l air port.

Solih’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has pledged to end what it called “China’s colonialism” and to resist a “land grab” in the country which straddles key East-West shipping routes.

MDP leader and former president Mohamed Nasheed has vowed his party would reduce reliance on China and renegotiate loans taken from Beijing.

More than 80 per cent of the Maldives’ foreign debt is owed to China, he said.

China has also loaned other countries around the Indian Ocean and beyond large amounts of money for infrastructure projects as part of its Belt and Road initiative.

Sri Lanka last year granted a 99-year lease on the Hambantota deep-sea port to Beijing, after it was unable to repay Chinese loans for the $1.4billion project.