Maldives Summons Indian High Commissioner

New Delhi, Sept 30, IRNA -- Indian High Commissioner to Maldives Rajeev Shahare has been summoned by the Foreign Ministry in Male, capital of Maldives, amid deepening political crisis after the Supreme Court ordered postponement of the presidential run-off. We had a meeting with the Indian High Commissioner last night, but we cannot reveal details of the meeting, pti reported quoting Maldives’s Foreign Ministry official as said. The Ministry called on all foreign parties to refrain from interfering with internal matters of the country. On Friday, Shahare met with Elections Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek, without elaborating. It is believed that Shahare was summoned by the ministry to protest his meeting with Thowfeek. This was the second time an Indian High Commissioner has been summoned by the foreign ministry. In February, the then High Commissioner D. M. Mulay was summoned after former president and opposition Maldivian Democratic Party presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed sought refuge inside the compound of the Indian High Commission in Male to evade arrest following his failure to show up in court for his trial over the detention of a judge. The ministry's communications director Ibrahim Muaz had earlier had slammed India's alleged interference in the dispute surrounding the run-off, the daily Haveeru reported. The apex court had issued an injunction delaying the run off until it rules on the case filed by Jumhoory Party seeking annulment of the first round results alleging vote rigging. Although the hearings on the case had ended, the Supreme Court is yet to issue a ruling. However, elections commissioner Thowfeek on Thursday evening had announced that the run-off will be held on September 28 despite the injunction. But after the Court ordered the security forces to stop anyone trying to violate the injunction, the commission had said it had halted all preparations for the second round. The Supreme Court orders came within hours of Majlis, Maldivian Parliament, passed a resolution in which it called upon all the state institutions to ensure that the second round takes place as scheduled on Saturday. India and other international agencies including the UN have appealed to all parties to respect the will of people expressed through results. India has asked all sides to respect the verdict and aspirations of the people of Maldives. The political scene in Maldives has been in a state of flux since February 2012 when Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected President, was forced to resign in duress. He was succeeded by Vice-President Mohammed Waheed./end