Saturday
23rd Nov 2024
Dhivehi Edition
President Yameen. Photo: TMJ
Opposition leader former President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom reaffirmed his patriotism, stating that the was not anti-India, but rather he was more pro-Maldives.
Speaking exclusively to the Voice, the former President said that the present administration had not provided any reasonable explanation for why Indian military officials in the country.
He added that he was, in no way, anti-Indian. President Yameen asserted that he was simply opposed to Indian military in the country.
"Do you see any remarks from my side against Indian people? We have Indian teachers, We have Indian health officials and other service industry people here from India. Do we see PPM or myself or any of our leaders commenting or remarking negatively of Indian’s living here?" said President Yameen.
President Yameen went on to criticize the Supreme Court ruling of February 1, 2018, labeling it as a judicial coup. He added that former President Mohamed Nasheed had linked the coup to India. Acceptance of what Nasheed had said was further confirmation that India had a role in defrauding the 2018 elections, President Yameen added.
In 2018, Nasheed while in India, claimed that Indian diplomats opened a small window for the then-opposition to secure the elections. In that interview Nasheed had thanked India for the assistance.
Elaborating on the judicial coup, President Yameen said that all attempts to defraud the elections began on February 1, 2018. At that time, there was little to no opportunity to gain a clean win in ballots and therefore, had attempted to overthrow the government through judicial means, he added.
President Yameen also said that Elections Commission had acted illegally in destroying the ballots, adding that the Commission had deprived him of the right given by the Supreme Court. The sanctity of elections, he said, was one of the key aspects of national security. Failure of Prosecutor General’s Office, Prosecutor General, and the Supreme Court to investigate the case is a clear sign of their failure to uphold the sanctity of their respective offices, he added.