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<\/a>Mohamed Nasheed<\/p><\/div>\n
Speaking to a group of journalists in Colombo, last night, Nasheed, a politician in exile, thanked the Sri Lankan government for giving him a safe haven during a difficult time.<\/p>\n
“I am sure this beautiful Sri Lankan tradition will continue,” the former Maldives President said.<\/p>\n
“We now want to see a smooth transition. We don’t want to see President Yameen going back to his old tricks.That is why I request the Sri Lankan government to engage more robustly in the process.”<\/p>\n
Describing Maldivian Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s victory as a “historic moment,” Nasheed, an important figure in Solih’s campaign, said a “lot of work” needed to be done to strengthen democracy in his country.<\/p>\n
With Nasheed\u2019s decision in June to exit the presidential race, the joint Opposition led by his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) decided to field a common candidate. The unlikely coalition \u2014 of MDP with the Jumhooree party, Adalat party, and a faction of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) \u2014 chose Solih to fight Abdulla Yameen’s presidency.<\/p>\n
Nasheed also met BJP MP and Leader of Virat Hindustan Sangam Dr. Subramanian Swamy in Colombo last month, and urged the latter to intervene in thwarting Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen’s alleged attempts to rig the election. At the meeting, Swamy had reportedly assured India’s full assistance in holding a free and fair election in the Maldives.<\/p>\n
Making a statement in Maldives, a short while ago, Yameen, the defeated candidate said, he accepted the people’s verdict expressed at the Presidential election.<\/p>\n
Yameen also pledged to transfer power to the President-elect peacefully, in November, as scheduled.<\/p>\n