A confidential letter sent by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to the Mauritius Prime Minister amid a maritime boundary dispute between the countries has been shared with the Bar Council.
Appearing on Raajje TV's 'Fashaairu' program on Saturday, Solih said the letter was shared upon request by the Bar Council for its study on the border issue.
"...and we have shared when the Bar Council requested it for their ongoing work on preparing a report. So they will know very clearly what's in the letter," he said.
The president said the letter would also be shared with parliament's 241 committee upon request.
"The 241 committee in Majlis is there to reveal such secrets. I don't have any problem with revealing the letter there if they request it. I'm ready to do it. It can be sent," he said.
The president said the only reason for keeping the letter classified was to respect diplomatic rules.
"The government has rules, doesn't it? Letters from one head of state to another are not made public. On the other hand, there are rules that require government documents to be released publicly after a certain period," he said. "I will send that letter even if the 241 committee requests today. There's nothing in there that I would keep secret on my own."
The letter does not have any content related to Maldivian independence and sovereignty, he assured.
"I am saying very clearly there won't be anything in that letter that would damage the country's independence and sovereignty," he said.
He accused political opponents of misleading the public over the letter and urged voters to be wary of such tactics.
"All of that talk really about independence, sovereignty and religion is intended to mislead the public during this election. I would say don't get caught in that," he said.
