The challenge before India is to make sure that it stands on the side of popular aspirations, democratic and secular values and representative forces in its immediate periphery.
India must deal with the situation in a calm and mature manner since an unstable Maldives can have serious regional security implications as well as impact upon India’s security.
Although the political situation is likely to stabilise in the short-term, multi-party democracy established in Maldives after the 2008 elections has received a definite setback.
Multi-party democracy in Maldives is facing a major crisis in the wake of a bitter political struggle between the president and the opposition-dominated national parliament.
The Maldives is well on the road towards a genuine democracy and the years to come will show how it manages modernisation, liberal democracy and Islam all together.
The August 2009 bilateral pact will fortify the security of the Maldives as well as cater to Indian security concerns on the terrorism and geopolitical fronts.
June 2, 2005 will go down as a red lettered day in the history of Maldives. On this day, the Maldivian parliament voted to allow multi-party democracy for the first time in the tiny atoll nation that has been ruled by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom since 1978. The parliament unanimously approved a resolution to allow political parties to seek recognition and contest elections, ending the no-party system in the nation. The motion was moved on the basis of a request from President Gayoom to review its earlier decision not to allow political parties in the country.
Maldives is the smallest country of South Asia. But its significance is no less because of its crucial geo-strategic location in the Indian Ocean. It sits astride on major sea lanes of communications (SLOCs). However, the crucial geo-strategic location of the Maldives has also caused problems for the country as it has aroused interests of major world powers.
