Maldives Opposition Moves To Impeach Pro-China President

The main opposition party in Maldives is set to begin impeachment proceedings against its pro-China president Mohamed Muizzu. The main opposition party Maldivian Democratic Party holds a majority in parliament and the collection of signatures have already started to begin the impeachment filing.  

The Opposition parties have hit-out at President Muizzu for his pro-China position after a Chinese spy ship was granted permission by the government to dock in Male.

A massive scuffle took place in parliament yesterday, after which the Opposition decided to begin impeachment proceedings.

A key vote on parliamentary approval for the Muizzu government was scheduled on Sunday and the violence started as the government MPs (PPM/PNC party) disturbed the proceedings.

Over the last weeks, President Muizzu who came to power with a distinctly anti-India position, has been facing pushback, especially with the diplomatic row with New Delhi over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's widely circulated post about his visit to the Lakshadweep islands.

Three ministers who made harsh comments were removed.

Mr Muizzu's demand that India withdraw its troops stationed in the country by mid-March was the newest in the anti-India rhetoric, with the presence of 80-odd Indian troops being portrayed as a security threat to the island nation.

The sudden shift in policy -- which traditionally held India as a friend and ally -- did not sit well with the opposition, and matters escalated after the Chinese spy ship issue.   

The Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP and the Democrats accused the government of a "stark" anti-India pivot and issued a joint press statement, labelling the policy shift as "extremely detrimental" to the country's long-term development.

"Alienating any development partner, and especially the country's most long-standing ally will be extremely detrimental to the long-term development of the country," the statement read. It also underscored that "stability and security in the Indian Ocean is vital to the stability and security of the Maldives".

Both the MDP and the Democrats emphasised the critical need for consecutive governments to maintain the ability "to work with all development partners for the benefit of the people of the Maldives, as the Maldives has traditionally done".