Yameen gives Muizzu ultimatum to 'reclaim' sea territory; sack Indian troops

President-elect Dr Mohamed Muizzu's first task when he takes office is to sack Indian troops and recover the 'lost' sea territory in the south of Maldives, PPM-PNC leader, former President Abdulla Yameen said on Monday.

Yameen, who was sentenced to 11 years in jail in connection with the MMPRC corruption scandal and is currently under house arrest, attended a rally at the PPM office on Monday evening and spoke for an hour.

His whole speech was based on the fact that the most important priority of Muizzu's five years of rule was the withdrawal of Indian troops and the recovery of the 'lost sea' territory.

"The two biggest issues. If these two issues are resolved, it is enough for me. Then I will say, O’ people of Maldives, give pass-marks to the current elected government of Dr Muizzu. I definitely will," he said.

Yameen said that although he was not on the agenda to speak at the rally, he wanted to speak as the party's guardian and since he had "some leeway with his arrest".

He said the issue of Indian troops and the lost sea territory were the most strongly spoken by the PPM-PNC when it was in opposition. He said the President-elect should keep his promise on the two issues.

Yameen said the people voted for Muizzu because they trusted him. Therefore, the two promises should not be forgotten, he said.

"All this said, the vote of the people of Maldives for Dr. Muizzu, [or] the vote of the people of Maldives for us. That, is a trust. That trust must be upheld," he said at the rally attended by a few members of the PPM-PNC leadership.

"India, after friendly talks, has to set deadlines for the withdrawal of Indian troops from Maldives. Before most of these five years is over, the Indian military must withdraw from this country”.

Regarding the Indian army, Yameen added:

If Muizzu does not resolve the issue of India, he said, jokingly, that he will the come out with 'India-In' instead of 'India-Out'.

Regarding the Maldives territorial waters in the south, Yameen said the "loss" of the area should be investigated by the Muizzu government. It is an area that this government has ‘easily abandoned', he said.

"Our government, to what extent and how soon it will do this [investigation into the loss of sea territory] is up to the [elected] president. However, I and all my followers in the PPM-PNC will all want these said gross negligence [or] crimes to be resolved; that justice is what the people of Maldives will want. It must happen,” he said.

He said the Muizzu government should resubmit the case to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

"Among the first things that the president-elect of my party should do, I believe, is to register our protest with ITLOS. We have to register the issue even before the swearing-in ceremony," he said, noting that Muizzu would also hold the discussion.