Maldives' opposition parties, who slammed Muizzu's ‘anti-India pivot’ to boycott his address. Here's why

Two principal opposition parties in the Maldives, who slammed the country’s President Mohamed Muizzu’s ‘anti-India’ pivot, will boycott his statement in the parliament on Monday. As per reports in the Maldives media, the two main opposition parties - the Maldivian Democratic Party and The Democrats Party - will skip the presidential statement that will be made by Muizzu around 9 am. The move by the key opposition parties to boycott the Presidential address underscores a deeping rift in political situation in the island nation. Reason for boycott The Democrats said they would abstain from Muizzu’s address Monday because of the re-appointment of three ministers who had been rejected by the parliament. While, the majority-holding Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has not yet clarified publicly its reason for boycotting Muizzu’s presidential address in the parliament on 5 February. According to the media outlet Mihaaru, the inaugural session of the Maldivian parliament for the year is said to begin on Monday with presidential statement at 9 am (local time). In Maldives, the president is required by the Constitution to address the parliament at the first session of the first term of the year, outlining the state of the nation and outlining his recommendations for how to bring improvements. It was anticipated that Muizzu’s speech would feature delineating the nation’s status quo and proposing strategies for progress. However, the confirmed absence of the main opposition members signals a stark discord. Recently, the two opposition parties have openly criticised the Muizzu-led government’s apparent transition in foreign policy, especially its distancing from India. It was described as “extremely detrimental” to the Maldives’ long-term growth. Amid Maldives-India diplomatic row, the two parties, in January, had described India as the country’s “most long-standing ally”. Both the parties also accused the current administration led by Muizzu of making a “stark pivot towards an anti-India stance”. The joint statement was issued days after the Maldivian government’s recent announcement permitting a Chinese spy ship, equipped for research and surveys, to dock at a port in Male. Muizzu’s administration, perceived as leaning towards China, has also asked India for the withdrawal of 80 Indian military personnel by 15 March, a proposition that has seemingly strained bilateral relations between the two nations. In response, India and the Maldives have reached a “mutually workable solution,” agreeing to replace Indian military soldiers on three aviation platforms by 10 May, with the initial phase concluding by 10 March. Tensions between the Maldives and India aggravated last month after ministers in the island nation’s government made disparaging comments against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. New Delhi registered a formal protest against the ministers over the remarks made over PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep. The remark by the ministers of Maldives created a massive uproar on social media with Indian celebrities among others made calls to boycott visiting the country. For decades, India was the closest ally of the Maldives’. However, the ties between the two nations have started getting bitter since Mohamed Muizzu was elected president of the country last year. With inputs from agencies