Motion calls on govt to disclose troop removal 'pact' with India

An emergency motion has been moved in the parliament on Wednesday calling for the government to disclose the agreement with the Indian government to withdraw its troops from Maldives.

President Mohamed Muizzu announced three days ago that India had agreed to remove its troops, but did not specify whether it was a written agreement.

The emergency motion was moved by the MDP deputy chairperson, Baarah MP Ahmed Abdulla.

The title of the emergency issue reads, among the "untruthful" statements made by President Muizzu during the September presidential election campaign:

Abdulla called on the government to disclose the detail of the "agreement made during the meeting held with the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of COP28 summit on the withdrawal of Indian troops."

On the emergency motion, Abdulla said that President Muizzu had spoken in the international media in a way that created fear in the hearts of the people that thousands of armed Indian troops were in Maldives.

In the emergency motion, he further called:

Muizzu won the presidential election in September, ousting Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in a runoff after promising to remove a small Indian military presence of 77 personnel.

Muizzu discussed the removal of troops with the Indian ambassador when they meet after his election victory, but formally made the request to remove Indian troops at a meeting with Kiren Rijiju, India's minister for earth sciences, who was representing India at the presidential inauguration on November 17. 

The president met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the COP28 in Dubai on Friday.

Speaking to reporters at the Velana International Airport after returning from Dubai, the president said detailed discussions had been held with India during the transition and after his inauguration on the removal of Indian troops from Maldives.

The number of Indian troops in Maldives is still not entirely clear and documents so far have identified between 77 and 89, President Muizzu said at a press conference held at the President's Office on Tuesday.

There are 77 Indian army officers in Maldives, the President's Office's Public Policy Undersecretary Mohammed Firzul told a press conference on November 19.