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Saturday, 11 February 2012

Maldives crisis - US, UK call for negotiated talks

Male: The United States and the United Kingdom stepped in to try and diffuse the Maldives political crisis on Saturday. The UK government said the new Maldives government must prove its legitimacy first.

US Assistant Secretary Robert Blake also arrived in the island country for talks with the new president. Blake is also in Male to try and diffuse the crisis Blake met the new president Mohamed Waheed and former president Mohamed Nasheed.

Till now, more than 200 people have been taken into custody, according to the reports, even as the new president Mohammed Waheed has ruled out the possibility of early polls.

Rejecting former president Mohammed Nasheed's demands calling for early elections, Waheed said that the current situation in the island nation was not conducive to holding "free and fair elections".

"There is an arrest warrant against him... But I'm trying not to arrest him. He needs to cooperate," said Waheed.

Meanwhile, deposed President Nasheed said he is disappointed with India's reaction to the mutiny and hoped India would correct its course soon.

An Indian envoy also met Maldivian leaders on Saturday and later while addressing a Press meet said it is up to the Maldivians to resolve the issue as per the constitution.

British High Commissioner John Rankins said that the new government should prove its legitimacy. "There is a need for negotiated dialogue and an independent review is required," said Rankins.

Waheed earlier said there has been a trend of undemocratic practices that finally broke the camel's back. "The world needs to know that there has been a series of actions on the part of former president Nasheed that amounts to criminal contempt of court.

There is already a arrest warrant against him. I am trying not to arrest him but he also needs to corporate with us," said Waheed.

Nasheed had reportedly said on Friday that he would go to the country's apex court against his ouster. Speaking Nasheed blamed the old order for the crisis.

Meanwhile, the situation is calm in Male. However, in Addu, tension prevailed on Saturday with reports of people getting tortured. Nearly 200 people were reportedly rounded up and detained by the police.

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