The international community led by India should ensure free and fair elections in Maldives, a former Maldivian foreign minister said today, warning that another term for the Abdulla Yameen government would complete the "Chinese takeover" of the island nation.
Ahmed Naseem, a senior leader of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party and foreign minister in the erstwhile Mohamed Nasheed government, said it was important for India that Maldives remains stable and democratic as the Chinese influence in the country was close to "the point of no return".
"Put bluntly, if the present president Yameen has another term in office, the Chinese takeover of our island nation will be complete. We are going to have elections on 23rd September. We do not have any space in the Maldives to conduct our campaign," he claimed, while addressing a press conference here.
"International community led by India should get Yameen to hold a free, fair and inclusive election with an independent Election Commission and proper observers," Naseem said.
If the Yameen government does not agree to this then, he said, the international community should take steps such as targeted sanctions and travel bans.
His remarks come amid a strain in India's relationship with Maldives as ties nose-dived after New Delhi criticised the Yameen government for imposing a 45-day emergency in the archipelago earlier this year.
The influence of China on Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, considered a backyard of India, has been growing and it is seen as a concern in New Delhi.
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