Government does not influence the judiciary: President

President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has said that the government does not politically influence the judiciary.

Speaking at a programme on DhiTV, the President said that it is commonly said the judiciary is political influenced and said that he has never acted towards influencing the judiciary. He considers state officials with constitutional mandates to be professionals and would accept their decisions as final, he said. He also said that he has confidence in the law enforcement agencies of the Maldives, adding that he had no doubt about their competence.

The President noted the ‘criminal environment’ in the country was alarming and that the rapid increase of crime rate created an environment where people live in constant fear. He said that measures such as closing down twenty-four hour shops have brought down the crime rate significantly.

When asked about the GMR issue, the President said that he tried to handle the situation after considering what is best for the people, and in a manner which will reduce the loss suffered by the society. He said that his final decision was made after he was sure that steps he was about to take would be the most beneficial for the country.

He said that bilateral relations between Maldives and India were much stronger, and that the GMR issue did not cast any shadow on the long-standing relations between the two countries. The President said the Indian foreign minister, along with other government officials continues to share the same sentiments about the relations between the two countries.

When asked about the border control system issue, the president said that the country is in need of an efficient border control system, but said that he has so far not been involved in the Nexbis border control system issue, saying that the decision was made solely during president Nasheed’s presidency. He further said that since the parliament has made a decision for the state to stop the project, the government will consequently stop the project and proceed to establish a new border control system and that the president has no problem in this course of action.