Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has weighed in on the claims of a coup made by ruling party MP.
In an interview to local news outlet, Mihaaru, MP Riyaz Rasheed, aligned with the ruling Y-faction of the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) said that Sri Lanka was actively involved and encouraging a coup to overthrow the elected Government in Maldives. MP Riyaz had also accused the Sri Lankan government of keenly assisting opposition in their attempts to overthrow the Government.
Defending the close relations between Maldives and Sri Lanka, President Maumoon said in a tweet that ‘Sri Lanka has always been a very close and highly trusted friend of Maldives’. He also said no one had the right to ‘disturb our bilateral relations’.
Sri Lanka has always been a very close and highly trusted friend of Maldives. No one has the right to disturb our bilateral relations.
— Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (@maumoonagayoom) November 10, 2017
Parliamentarian and son to former Sri Lankan President, Namal Rajapaksa had also called the statements made by MP Riyaz as deeply concerning, stressing that Sri Lanka had always prioritized on non-intervention.
