Ban Ki-moon

The United Nations has released a statement expressing strong hope that the handover of power from Mohamed Nasheed to former Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik will resolve the political crisis faced by the Maldives.

In the statement, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon advised people to refrain from violence and work constructively when addressing the challenges currently faced by the country. He also called Maldivians to build upon the progress achieved in terms of democratic reform.

He noted the work of former President Nasheed, saying, “The Secretary-General acknowledges the important contributions of President Nasheed, the country's first democratically-elected president, to the establishment of democracy in the Maldives and his role in raising international awareness of the dangers of climate change and rising seas.”

He ended the statement by saying, “The United Nations will remain a close partner of the Maldives and will continue to extend its support in the period ahead.”