Muizzu could stir up anti-India campaign again: Former Maldives Minister Abdullah Shahid

Days after Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu visited Pakistan for a bilateral visit that yielded many agreements, the former Foreign Minister of Maldives, Abdulla Shahid, accused him of moving in an “anti-India” direction.

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Mr. Shahid, who is running for the leadership of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ahead of the Presidential elections in 2028, alleged that Mr. Muizzu, who has had a cordial relationship with New Delhi for most of his tenure, would revive the “India Out” campaign of 2023.

“The President [Mr. Muizzu] is trying to make India the issue again, because for him, he hasn’t been able to perform. He hasn’t been able to provide any development or deliver on any of the promises, and therefore, come next election again, he will try to create some narrative on hate,” Mr. Shahid, who was Foreign Minister during the tenure of the previous President Ibrahim Solih (2018-2023) and won a term as the President of the UN General Assembly with India’s support in 2021, told The Hindu in an interview here. 

The Maldives government spokesperson did not reply to a request for a response to Mr. Shahid’s comments.

Mr. Shahid called for more transparency about 20 MoUs signed between the Maldives and Pakistan when President Muizzu went on a three-day visit to Islamabad from October 20 to 22, the first such visit by a Maldives President since 2015. After talks between Mr. Muizzu and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the two sides announced agreements in a number of areas, including defence and maritime security, combating illicit trafficking and narcotics, information technology, cybersecurity and AI. They agreed to start direct flights between Male and Islamabad. In particular, Mr. Muizzu’s meeting with Pakistan’s Field Marshal and Army chief General Asim Munir had raised eyebrows in Delhi. Mr. Muizzu also called for the revival of SAARC, on hold since 2016 when India pulled out of the summit in Islamabad over cross-border terrorism.

“We do not want Maldives to be drawn into disputes within our neighbours,” said Mr. Shahid, demanding that the Muizzu government make a statement in Parliament about the nature of the agreements signed with Pakistan. “We must aim for expanding our relationship with everyone who has goodwill to the Maldives, but it should not come at the cost of our own friends, our established relationships,” he added.

When asked about Mr. Muizzu’s Pakistan visit on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the government kept a “close watch” on such developments and would “take whatever appropriate steps may be necessary”. In response to the comments on SAARC, Mr. Jaiswal said that it was “one country”, indicating Pakistan, that had “stalled” the functioning of SAARC, and India was keen to strengthen regional cooperation.

Mr. Shahid’s comments to The Hindu indicate that ties with India may once again become an issue in the Maldivian elections. Mr. Solih lost the elections in 2023 due to the “India Out” campaign of the People’s National Congress (PNC), led by Mr. Muizzu, against what he alleged was undue Indian influence in the island chain, especially accusing the Solih government of allowing India to build military bases in infrastructure projects that India had constructed.

Mr. Muizzu had also demanded that Indian Air Force personnel stationed at three locations in the Maldives, including Gan Island and Hanimadhoo Atoll, who operated aircraft that India had provided to the Maldives, be removed. While the beginning of Mr. Muizzu’s tenure saw tensions with the Modi government, and he chose to travel to Turkiye, the UAE, and China before visiting India, relations improved after India agreed to withdraw military personnel and replace them with civilian personnel instead.

In June 2024, a month after the final batch of 89 Indian personnel had been withdrawn, Mr. Muizzu visited India to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, and then returned in October 2024 for a bilateral visit, when India offered the Maldives several economic support measures, including a currency swap agreement to help Maldives avoid a debt failure.

Mr. Shahid, who is standing for the primary elections in the MDP next year, is expected to face some tough competition from his other former colleagues in the cabinet as well, including former Economic Minister Fayyaz Ismail, who has the backing of the current MDP chief and former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed.

Mr. Shahid and Mr. Solih were rivals of Mr. Nasheed during the previous government, but the opposition has come together within the MDP in order to fight against the ruling PNC.

The run-up to the 2028 elections has heated up after the PNC confirmed Mr. Muizzu for the 2028 ticket, and the MDP held its party congress, endorsing the “Big Change” ticket for constitutional reform proposed by Mr. Ismail.

Mr. Shahid is in India to attend the Words Beyond Borders International Literature Festival and is expected to affirm a campaign more friendly to India. When asked whether he would back an “India-first” campaign like Mr. Solih did, Mr. Shahid said his outreach would always be “first to India” on foreign policy, but not on domestic issues, which were sovereign.

“India has always been our first responder. India has always been a generous partner in development. India is our immediate neighbour, who has been consistent in its relationship with the Maldives. So, our history proves the relationship right,” he said, referring to close ties between India and the Maldives since 1965, when the Maldives won its independence from British rule.