Indian Minister Urges Democracy And Free Trade

The Indian External Affairs Minister, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, has made a quick visit to the Maldives and offered India’s “help and cooperation” with democratic reform.

He also called on Maldivian support for a regional free trade pact, the South Asian Free Trade Agreement or SAFTA.

His visit was nominally to invite the Maldives to attend the 14th The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit, but he took the opportunity to make statements about democracy and free trade.

“We congratulated the President for taking initiatives in the reform process: multi party democracy, amending of the constitution, establishment of various institutions to strengthen this democratic and reform process. We also extended our help and cooperation if it is required in any of these fields,” Mr. Mukherjee told state channel TV Maldives.

He went on to ask for support for a regional free trade agreement. “I requested particularly the President…should take a special role and ensure that the SAFTA is operationalised and our objective of providing benefit to all SAARC member countries is achieved.”

The Maldives and India have enjoyed good diplomatic relations for some time. “Maldives is one of our dearest and oldest friends. Our relationship is totally tension free. We have the best of relations amongst ourselves. And both of us agreed that we should try to make SAARC a thrust so that it can achieve its mandate,” Mr. Mukherjee said.

But some have criticised India for its continued support of President Gayoom’s regime, and especially its military aid. Many believe President Gayoom and his party, the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), are only superficially committed to democracy and that India’s support of the regime is actually hindering reform.

One Maldivian commentator, Ali Siraj, recently wrote an article published in Fiyes magazine and on this website entitled, “The Indian Congress Party is the Biggest Obstacle for a Democratic Maldives.” In it he argued: “Since Congress party took control the support given by India to establish a democracy in Maldives came to a halt.”

There is considerable distrust among many Maldivians over President Gayoom’s assumed democratic ideals.

Ibrahim Hussein Zaki, the Acting President of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which campaigns for the end to dictatorship in the Maldives, reacted to news of Mr. Mukherjee’s visit by saying the Indian government: “will be with the people of this country, regardless of who is in power.”

He has stated that the MDP is keen to work with India and says the country has also had to deal with a dictatorship, so the two countries have a shared experience.

Mr. Mukherjee left yesterday evening without meeting with the MDP.

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