Presidential commission to review Solih-era Chagos actions

President Mohamed Muizzu on Thursday announced that a special presidential commission of inquiry will be established to examine decisions taken by the previous Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government that, according to the current administration, resulted in harm to the country.

The announcement follows a letter sent on 22 August 2022 by former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to the Prime Minister of Mauritius, recognising Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.

The current government made the letter public, along with a statement issued on 19 December 2023 outlining steps being taken to recover what it described as lost maritime areas of the Maldives.

On 28 April 2024, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruled that maritime delimitation between the Maldives and Mauritius should be determined primarily from the coast of the Chagos Islands, consistent with arguments presented by the Maldives.

Speaking during his presidential address at the opening sitting of Parliament this year, President Muizzu said he had decided to withdraw the letter sent by his predecessor on the Chagos issue.

The President said a special commission of inquiry would be established under Article 115 of the Constitution to review decisions taken by the previous administration and to determine whether legal action is required.

“Based on the advice of international experts appointed on this matter, some of the decisions taken by the previous government have caused damage to the country,” the President said.

President Muizzu added that the area in question would be included within the Maldives’ Special Economic Zone.

Under the ITLOS ruling, a maritime area of 92,563 square kilometres was divided between the Maldives and Mauritius, with 47,232 square kilometres allocated to the Maldives and 45,331 square kilometres to Mauritius.

At the time, the then opposition, now the ruling PPM-PNC, criticised the ruling, alleging that it resulted in the loss of part of the southern maritime zone.

Following the change of government, the Attorney General’s Office began work within its first 100 days to examine options to recover the disputed maritime area. A committee was appointed for this purpose, and foreign legal expertise was sought.