Maldives government answers EU statement

Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement yesterday stating that Government of the Maldives considers the ‘Declaration’ issued on the Maldives by the European Union’s High Representative, Catherine Ashton, on 14 March 2013 “unfortunate and unacceptable”, as it states that the credibility of the upcoming presidential elections will depend upon the possibility of a particular candidate to compete in the elections.

The Foreign Ministry statements says that the Government is committed to ensuring that the presidential elections will be fair and inclusive of all qualified parties and individuals wishing to participate.

The statement noted that it is therefore regrettable that a responsible international organisation, such as the EU, chose to state in public that the forthcoming presidential elections would not be credible unless a particular person is allowed to contest in the elections.

Declaration issued on the Maldives by the European Union’s High Representative, Catherine Ashton, states that the EU is following closely developments in the Maldives and in particular the progress of the court case against ex-President Mohamed Nasheed.

The Foreign Ministry statement also highlighted the criminal charges filed against former President Mohamed Nasheed concerning the arrest and detention of a sitting judge of a superior court. It goes on to say that the charges were taken up by an independent Prosecutor General and notes that at the time of the incident, President Nasheed had dismissed calls by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, Prosecutor General, and several international organisations, including the EU, to release the judge.