President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has expressed his commitment to remove Indian troops from the Maldives in accordance with the wishes of the people.
Speaking at a People's National Congress (PNC) function, President Muizzu highlighted that Maldivians have repeatedly expressed their wish not to have any foreign military personnel stationed in the country. He noted that his administration has officially requested the Indian government to withdraw all their military personnel from the Maldives and also repeated the request at high-level meetings between the two countries.
As such, President Muizzu said he would take all necessary steps to remove Indian troops on diplomatic grounds, expressing confidence that the request will be fulfilled. He also said that the Maldives has achieved success in establishing and strengthening ties with the international community, but that Maldivians will show that they can progress while remaining sovereign and not relying on other nations.
Furthermore, President Muizzu welcomed the new members who joined the main ruling party, PNC. He said that the parliamentarians who had left Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to join PNC are steadfast in their support for his administration. He also urged members of the main opposition party to work in accordance with the wishes of the people and uphold the democratic process. He cautioned against the misuse of power by the MDP, considering the large number of representatives they have in Parliament.