Why Maldivians Are Not Proud of UNGA President Shahid

The election of Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, to the Presidency of the 76th of the United Nations General Assembly has lead high-ranking officials and sponsored news outlets of the Solih administration to celebrate the uniqueness and distinctiveness of the post.

The state-sponsored narrative focuses on how Shahid was the first Maldivian national to be elected to the post and how all Maldivians should be proud of him.

However, the State's celebration of Shahid overlooks a particular trait that truly distinguishes him from his 77 predecessors; none of his predecessors had apparently shown such public concern and discontent when a foreign government had decided to not launch a military intervention in their native country.

The event in question occurred in 2018. Former President Mohamed Nasheed had called on the Indian military to intervene in the Maldives following a Supreme Court judgment on February 1. Shahid spoke in favor of such a military intervention.

On an appearance on Indian live television with K.C. Singh, former Indian diplomat, Shahid had expressed his concern that the Indian military had not arrived on Maldivian soil 48 hours after the announcement of the state of emergency. Shahid made this television appearance a day after Nasheed's comments. In that same interview, K.C. Singh admitted to having advised the GMR Group to station Indian military personnel, disguised as GMR employees, at Hulhule; the location of the Maldives' major international airport.

On that appearance, Singh had made comments that may be taken to mean that India should have influence over the Maldives.

Shahid nodded, in apparent agreement, to all of Singh's inflammatory comments and opinions on that broadcast. He expressed his own concern with the fact that India had not sent their troops to the Maldives for a military intervention.

No prior president of the United Nations General Assembly had publicly expressed such discontentment with the absence of foreign military intervention in their native countries.