India today remained in hectic diplomatic parleys to resolve the situation arising out of former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed taking refuge in its High Commission here for the seventh day to evade an arrest warrant.
As part of the ongoing consultations, Indian High Commissioner D. M. Mulay has in the last few days met Thasmeen Ali, leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).
The DRP is now the second largest party in Maldives with 22,687 members and a key constituent of the coalition government headed by President Mohamed Waheed.
Mulay also met prospective Presidential candidate of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Abdullah Yameen. PPM, the party belonging to former Maldivian ruler Maumoon Gayoom, has the third largest membership.
Nasheed’s party has a membership of around 45,000 and is the single largest party, while Waheed’s party has 3,217 members, according to latest figures from the Election Commission.
Stepping up pressure on India, Maldives has pressed for facilitation of the arrest of Nasheed against whom a fresh court warrant was issued yesterday.
The Court has directed the police to produce Nasheed before it by 4 pm tomorrow.
However, India is unlikely to ask Nasheed to leave because it feels it is up to the Maldivian leader to take a call, sources said in New Delhi.
The situation showed no signs of resolution despite efforts at the official level to do so.
45-year-old Nasheed, took refuge in the Mission on February 13 to evade an arrest warrant issued by a court in a case concerning the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court during his Presidency in January last year.
In another development, Nasheed’s party — Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) — has written to External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid asking India to continue to support and assist to “seek a solution to the political crisis in the Maldives”.