The embattled president of the Maldives has sent envoys to friendly nations such as China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to brief them on a political crisis in the Indian Ocean nation that spurred the imposition of emergency, his office said. The Maldives has been in crisis since last week, when the Supreme Court quashed convictions ranging from corruption to terrorism of nine opposition figures, including former president Mohamed Nasheed, its first democratically elected leader. India sent soldiers to foil a coup against the government in 1988, but has since refrained from getting directly involved in the country’s unstable politics. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China’s aid to the Maldives had never carried political conditions. Cooperation between China and the Maldives is for all the people of the islands and accords with the interests of both countries and both peoples, Geng added.

Source: Egypt Independent February 08, 2018 09:56 UTC