Gasim says want friendly ties, but won't bow down to any country
The opposition is concerned that this government has "fallen into the lap" of India, which has put foreign policy too heavy on one side.
By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
Jumhooree Party (JP) leader and presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim said on Wednesday that if he is elected to the presidency he will seek friendly relations with all countries, but will not bow down to any country.
As the September 9 presidential election draws close, he tweeted on Tuesday about how foreign policy will be pursued under his administration. He said that his foreign policy will be pursued in line with former President Ibrahim Nasir and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
When asked about the tweet, Gasim told Atoll Times on Wednesday that his foreign policy would be one that would not send the country into the trap of any other country but would protect the independence and sovereignty of the Maldives. Describing the country's independence as "a thousand blessings”, he said no one wants it to go away.
"Did Ibrahim Nasir's policy cause a fall into any country's lap? Did Maumoon fall?... So, I assure you that you don't have to go into anyone's lap under my regime," he said.
Gasim said Islam also calls to maintain friendships and that under his rule, no particular country will be angered or offended.
"We don't resent any particular group. I am saying that we are not against any group. We want the country's sovereignty, independence and religion to remain the way our forefathers shaped them for us," he said.
The Maldives established relations with Israel, which has been waging a war against Palestinians, during the reign of Ibrahim Nasir. Gasim's tweet also led some people to wonder if he would establish ties with Israel if he was voted to power.
When asked about it, he said the Maldives had severed ties with Israel since then. Therefore, he said he is not in favour of establishing relations with Israel.
When asked if the tweet reflected his criticism of the foreign policy of the incumbent government, he said, "One should take meaning as they see fit".
The opposition has launched an 'India Out' campaign against what they say are underhand deals the government has brokered with India and the presence of Indian troops under different disguises.
The government, however, maintains that it had not done anything that would affect the country's independence.
