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Ansari hails smooth transition in Maldives

MALE: Vice-President Hamid Ansari, who arrived here on Monday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Mohammed Nasheed, the President of the Republic of Maldives, praised the conduct of a democratic election that elevated Mr. Nasheed to the top political post in this island-nation in the Indian Ocean.

“The Government of India is delighted at the democratic election and smooth transition [of power]. A new government has come in through a very democratic election and a smooth transition [of power] is taking place. It speaks highly of the political maturity of Maldives” Mr. Ansari told correspondents on his special plane. He said the relations between New Delhi and Male were beyond government-to-government. It was people-to-people as close neighbours and the smooth relations would continue.

To a question about reports of increasing Chinese presence in this island-nation, Mr. Ansari said he was not sure about their credibility. He said even when the Maldives President-elect visited India he had himself expressed doubts about such reports.

Asked about the nature of India’s engagement with the President-elect, Mr. Ansari said during his last visit to India, Mr. Nasheed had met a number of people, think-tanks and interacted with all sections of Indians. “He is not an unknown entity and has personal friends from different walks of life in India.”

The Vice-President was received at the airport by Abdullah Shahid, the Foreign Minister of Maldives. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday.

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