By Easwaran Rutnam The sudden political shift in Sri Lanka took place just after a political change was witnessed in the Maldives. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was elected as the new President of the Maldives and he will be ceremonially appointed on 17 November. Prior to his appointment, former Maldivian Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon met political leaders both here in Sri Lanka and India on behalf of her father former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who is a strong supporter of Mohamed Solih. Maumoon spoke to The Sunday Morning on the future of the Maldives and the relationship between the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Where do you think Sri Lanka will fit into the foreign policy of the new Government of Maldives? Sri Lanka has always been a very close friend of Maldives. The economic and social ties between the two countries run back many centuries. Sri Lanka is a second home to many Maldivians and a lot of Sri Lankans work in the Maldives as well. When we talk about friends of Maldives, Sri Lanka obviously tops the list. From an economic aspect, I do believe we have plenty of opportunities that both countries need to explore for mutual benefit. I would advocate for a foreign policy that seeks to strengthen ties with Sri Lanka for the mutual benefit of the two countries. Promoting bilateral investments more and regular cultural and sports events, more joint collaborations in the fields of health, education, or historical research could perhaps be some of the outputs of such a policy. Both countries are located in strategically important sea-lines of communications in the Indian Ocean, and the space for regular consultations and policy coordination is growing everyday. Cultural and social ties have always played an important role between the two countries. As you are aware, Sri Lanka houses a significant number of Maldivian expats and vice-versa. A sound foreign policy towards Sri Lanka can ensure that the people of both countries can benefit from this relationship. In this regard, I believe it is important for the Government of Maldives to work with the Government of Sri Lanka, to ensure the wellbeing of Maldivian citizens living in Sri Lanka, and of course more opportunities can be created for the Sri Lankan enterprises and workforce in the Maldives. We all know India prefers to work with a Ranil Wickremesinghe-led Government than a Mahinda Rajapaksa-led one because of the China factor. Does the Maldives have such a preference? As I mentioned, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have been friends for centuries, and this friendship has been characterised by the mutual respect we have. Our relationship with Sri Lanka is mostly based on social and cultural bonds and these bonds have thrived despite changing political scenarios in both countries. India and China’s geopolitical interest in the Indian Ocean has a significant impact on the politics of both countries. This, however, hasn’t affected the relationship between both countries in the least. We, in the Maldives, are willing to work closely with any government in Sri Lanka and I believe it's the same with Sri Lanka as we have seen in the past. Looking at the political situation in Sri Lanka now, what do you think Sri Lanka can learn from the change that took place in the Maldives recently? The Maldives just had the presidential election where the coalition candidate Ibu Solih achieved a landslide victory over the incumbent president Adulla Yameen. Maldivian politics was in a difficult situation before the election, as President Yameen’s government was severely criticised for its undemocratic, authoritarian rule, both at home and internationally. Suppression of media freedom, cracking down on dissent, imprisoning political leaders, suspending of parliament, erosion of justice, it all happened in our country over the past few years. We have, however, overcome the threat of authoritarianism through the ballot box. The Maldivian people voted for change. Despite the mega infrastructure development projects that the Yameen administration boasted of, the people chose freedom and justice. I think, in that regard, the message that the Maldivian people sent out to the world in the election was that economic prosperity is good, but political freedom is better; the verdict was that we wish to have a political order that promotes both democratic values together with accelerated economic growth. It is not for us Maldivians to comment on in the internal politics of Sri Lanka. As I have mentioned before, Sri Lanka has a highly sophisticated political environment. Above all, there is a high level of awareness among the Sri Lankan public, and it has a tradition of democratic polity dating back to 1931. You met Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe before the political crisis in Sri Lanka. Can you elaborate on the talks you had with them? Yes, I met with Wickremasinghe and Rajapaksa right after the elections in the Maldives, and before the political shift in Sri Lanka started. My visit with the two leaders was primarily representing my father, former President of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had just been released from prison after President Yameen lost the election. The purpose of my visit was to present my father’s greetings to the two leaders and to update them on the political situation in the Maldives. As always, both assured their goodwill towards the Maldives. Will the new Government of Maldives go on a political witch hunt against the former regime? I have always strongly advocated against the cycle of vengeance that has been part of Maldivian politics and have often stressed on the importance of putting an end to that. We all know that the outgoing President of Maldives Abdulla Yameen faces serious allegations of human rights abuses as well as corruption. If these allegations are true, of course he needs to face the consequences, but it needs to be through a proper judicial procedure. Two wrongs won’t make a right. The first step is to ensure a strong and independent judiciary. It is no secret that the Maldives justice system has been vastly criticised for not being independent and I have been one person who always called for judicial reforms. I have seen the people facing injustice because of this. I have seen families suffering, including my own, as my father, brother, and brother-in-law, were all in prison. Therefore, I really want to stress on the importance of independent judiciary to put an end to this cycle of vengeance. If anyone has done wrong, that person has to face the consequences, but it should not be a political witch hunt as we have seen in the past. Realistically do you see the Maldives distancing itself from China? The Maldives is a small state, and it’s small enough to be close to any and every country that respects us and shares the values and principles that we cherish. The Maldives lies at the very centre of Indian Ocean, and more than 60% of the maritime trade in the India Ocean goes either through, or just above the northern tip of the Maldives. One can therefore appreciate the geopolitical significance of the Maldives. The prevailing order in the Indian Ocean is one that provides strategic stability to this region and beyond. It’s an order that the Maldives should promote and contribute to sustain. The strategic partnership between the Maldives and India has helped to maintain that order and brought stability to the region. That’s a partnership that we value. China’s growing economic strength is one from which we all benefit. As you know, a number of important infrastructure projects have been implemented in the Maldives with financial support from China. However, the geostrategic gravity in South Asia is such that it pulls the Maldives towards the subcontinent, and I can tell you that the political leadership in the Maldives cannot afford to go against that gravitational power; Maldivian voters are much smarter than that, as we saw in the just-concluded presidential election. What does the future hold for the Maldives under the new President? The President-elect represents the hopes, aspirations, and the dreams of hundreds of thousands of Maldivians; and he is in a privileged position that he is surrounded by the most formidable leaders in the country. With the support of these leaders, the President-elect Ibu can steer the country to a direction where every Maldivian will enjoy the democratic dividend: To live in freedom without fear of being prosecuted for exercising one’s constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights, and at the same time, benefit from inclusive economic growth. That is a future that rewards hard work, that brings social and economic equality to take care of the vulnerable groups in the society, and one where the Maldives is respected internationally. It is also a future where democratic political discourse is held in a way that promotes our national values, and where political differences can be converged through national institutions.