Maldives

The opposition is planning a mass protest over the alleged theft of land plots and the misuse of the national identity card database.

Both governments denied allegations in the Washington Post about the Indian intelligence agency’s involvement in an aborted plot to impeach President Muizzu.

Tourists aren’t allowed to bring vaping devices either and cigarette prices have more than doubled after the government hiked tariffs.

After staring down disgruntled tourism oligarchs over a requirement to convert foreign currency earnings, President Muizzu has offered a compromise.

The ruling party and tourism industry associations oppose a “blanket ban” on Israeli passport holders as proposed by the opposition and backed by a pro-Palestine public consensus.

The new anti-defection rules effectively allow parties to enforce their whip line with the threat of removal from office.

There is concern in the region that much of the climate finance being extended is in the form of loans that could get them debt-trapped.

China’s efforts to contain India may be less important than smaller countries’ desire to counterbalance Indian influence.

President Muizzu announced plans to dismiss more than 200 political appointees as part of efforts to reduce government spending but postponed politically difficult subsidy reforms.

India’s traditional focus on its continental borders resulted in neglect of the maritime domain. That is changing.

He agreed to open an Indian consulate and endorsed an India-funded military harbor -- projects he previously opposed as they allegedly threatened Maldivian sovereignty.

Malé is hoping for a bailout from New Delhi after credit rating agencies downgraded the country’s debt over a high risk that it could default on an Islamic bond.

The Bank of Maldives suspended foreign currency spending from local cards but reversed the decision six hours later after the government intervened in the face of a public uproar.

The visit of Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to Malé marked the renewal of traditionally close ties that soured in the early days of President Muizzu’s administration.

If tariffs are eliminated for Chinese goods, Maldives will be forced to import exclusively from China as goods from other countries would not be able to compete against cheaper Chinese goods.

Amid an intensifying competition for influence, the Maldives’ mounting debt is the most central issue in its relations with both India and China. 

Some of its islands have lost ground to erosion, some are stable, while still others are expanding.

Or are authorities using sorcery allegations as a pretext to arrest a former close aide of Muizzu who allegedly had evidence of his corruption during his days as Malé mayor?

The appearance of Maldives President Muizzu alongside Narendra Modi signals the warming of the relationship between the island nation and regional power India.

Credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded the Maldives to “junk” status, casting doubt on the country’s ability to meet “substantial upcoming external debt-servicing obligations.”

The government announced that the ban is unlikely to be a “blanket;” it will address concerns over Arab Muslim and Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Daniel Bosley discusses China-India competition and domestic politics in the Maldives, and Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan puts that in the context of broader IOR dynamics.

New criteria are needed to fund climate resiliency for vulnerable island nations that are ineligible for cheaper financing reserved for low-income countries, says President Muizzu.