Former President Mohamed Nasheed has appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, a popular US current affairs program that averages two million viewers a night.
As with many of his appearances to promote the Island President, the topic quickly turned to Nasheed’s resignation “under duress” on Feburary 7.
“It is easy to beat a dictator in an election, but it is not easy to flush the remnants of a dictatorship, they come back, and with a vengeance,” Nasheed told Stewart.
“Since the coup the vast majority of people have been out on the streets in support [of us]. We are not seeing many supporters in favour of Gayoom, but he has the police, the military the judiciary and the institutions,” Nasheed said.
“We are asking the US government to impress upon the Maldives government the need to have elections as quickly as possible,” he explained.
“I can only assume our government is doing everything it possibly can to help, because that’s how we roll,” Stewart replied, sardonically.
“I think they got the wrong end of the stick to start with. I hope they are now understanding the ground reality. I met your officials and was encouraged, but they seem to have to ask everyone around the Maldives before they can say anything,” Nasheed observed.
This meant India, suggested Stewart.
“India is very large and influential – but I wonder if it is an intelligent thing to outsource your foreign policy,” Nasheed suggested.
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