Ranjan Mathai heads to Maldives to push for political deal

With the crisis in the Maldives festering, Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai Wednesday headed to the archipelago nation to hold discussions with key political leaders across the spectrum and press for a broad-based political resolution.

Mathai is expected to meet former president Mohamed Nasheed, his successor Mohammed Waheed Hasan and other leaders.

This is the second visit by a senior Indian diplomat to the Maldives in a week after Nasheed resigned under controversial circumstances Feb 7, plunging the strategically-located archipelago into prolonged turmoil.

M. Ganapathi, secretary (west) in the external affairs ministry, was sent by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as his special envoy last Friday to hold talks with key political stakeholders and impress upon them the need for a broad-based coalition government.

However, since then Nasheed and his Maldivian Democratic Party have hardened their stand and ruled out joining any coalition government headed by his successor Waheed, whom he has accused of masterminding the “coup” that led to his ouster.

Nasheed has also voiced his disappointment with India for not understanding the ground realities and failing to respond to his plea for help when a coup by his rivals was being executed in the capital Male.

However, New Delhi has clarified that Nasheed never approached it for help and contested that the transfer of power Feb 7 was a coup.

India has ruled out any military intervention and underlined that the present crisis in the Maldives was an internal affair of that country and should be resolved democratically within the ambit of the Maldivian constitution. This message will be reinforced by Mathai when he meets key political leaders in that country.

Mathai returns to New Delhi Thursday.

Politics in Maldives have acquired a new twist. With an eye to India, Nasheed has said that China will now start playing a more active role in the country.