New Delhi:
Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, who had taken diplomatic sanctuary at the Indian High Commission in Male last month, has told NDTV, "If I face arrest again, I hope India and the international community will intervene more robustly and make sure things remain on track."
Mr Nasheed faces charges of illegally ordering the military to detain a judge when he was in power in January 2012. Two arrest warrants issued against him expired because he refused to accept them while he was inside the Indian mission. India had sent a Joint Secretary-headed delegation to mediate the diplomatic standoff in the island nation and after 11 days, Mr Nasheed exited the Indian mission.
If convicted, Mr Nasheed will be barred from the country's September Presidential polls. His party insists it's a politically motivated case to ensure he doesn't contest.
Mr Nasheed said, "India's role was to impress upon the government of Maldives the gravity of the issue that all parties have to be able to take part in inclusive elections."
Sources have told NDTV the Indian delegation had over a dozen meetings in an attempt to mediate between the current regime of President Mohamed Waheed and Mr Nasheed. President Waheed had taken over from Mr Nasheed in 2012 following a police mutiny backed by some elements of the military and the opposition.
When NDTV asked the Maldives' first and only democratically elected President whether there was a deal with the authorities to delay or drop charges against him, Mr Nasheed was categorical that the government would be silly if it barred the country's largest party -- his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) -- from the polls.
"We have the most number of members, parliamentarians, and local councilors. If you want to disenfranchise the vast majority of the people, then you could eliminate me, Mr Nasheed said, adding that if the polls were free, fair and inclusive, "we are bound to win the elections very handsomely."