Maldives President faces heat for Turkish drones, water ‘gifted’ by China

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 29

Faced with criticism for ordering expensive alternatives to the assistance provided by India, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has taken recourse to accusing his predecessor for past sins.

Muizzu is being criticised for the recent procurement of military drones from Turkey and for accepting tonnes of drinking water from China. Already on a weak political wicket after his party lost the Male Mayor’s seat he had vacated to contest for the President’s post, he has alleged that the previous President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih operated on orders from “a foreign ambassador”.

Muizzu did not name any country or the diplomat. But his hint was broad and clear due to a series of actions he has taken to distance the Maldives from India.

Earlier in the month, Maldives announced the acquisition of surveillance drones from Turkey. However, when questioned, he accused the Maldives Democratic Party of failing to protect the country’s independence despite its supermajority from 2018 to 2023.

“We had lost independence in every sense of the word, including economically. After having done all this, they would naturally not accept our efforts to remedy all this and put the country on track, which the Maldivian people want,” he said while refusing to disclose the price at which the drones were purchased.

The Maldives government is also facing flak for accepting 1,500 tonnes of drinking water donated by China from the glaciers in Tibet. Though this consignment was wrapped as a gift, there are fears in Maldives over the subsequent price tag. India in contrast is nearer and therefore water from here would have been cheaper.

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