The Maldives' largest opposition party is preparing to launch impeachment procedures against their pro-China President, Mohammed Muizzu. The opposition, led by the Maldivian Democratic Party, has a majority in Parliament and has started gathering signatures to bring a effective resolution.
Tensions rose after the government allowed a Chinese ship to port in Male, prompting the opposition to made guilty President Muizzu for his pro-China policies. Following a tense parliamentary session yesterday, the opposition decided to move forward with the impeachment proceedings.
President Muizzu has experienced criticism in recent weeks, particularly for his anti-India posture, which stems from a political dispute with New Delhi over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Lakshadweep Islands. As a result, three ministers that made unfavorable remarks were gone. Muizzu's demand that Indian forces leave the Maldives by mid-March, along with anti-India rules. The abrupt transition strained relations with the opposition, and the situation worsened following the incident involving the Chinese espionage ship.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and Democrats charged the administration with being "adamantly anti-India" and issued a joint press statement condemning policy changes as "extremely detrimental" to the country's long-term growth. Both the MDP and the Democrats stressed the importance of ongoing collaboration with all development partners for the benefit of the Maldivians.
