A large majority of the people voted for the government to remove foreign soldiers and recover the territory "lost" from Maldivian waters, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said in his first presidential address.
Delivering the presidential address at the opening sitting of the People's Majlis on Monday, Muizzu said the government was elected to ensure the removal of foreign soldiers, recover the lost territory and cancel agreements that harm the country.
"The support of a large majority of the Maldivian people for our government is a support and agreement for the removal of foreign soldiers from this land, to recover the territory lost from Maldivian waters and cancel any deals that may harm the sovereignty of the Maldives," he said.
Providing updates on the efforts for the removal of Indian soldiers, Muizzu said the first group of soldiers will leave on March 10 and the second group will leave on May 10.
“It has also been officially informed that the Maldivian state will not renew the agreement which gives India substantial powers to draw charts of Maldives boundaries and the seabed," he stated.
Muizzu vowed now to tolerate any action that would harm the country's sovereignty and claimed that the Maldivian military will soon have the capacity to patrol the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 24 hours a day.
On Friday, a Maldives government official said India has been asked to explain why armed members of the Indian Coast Guard entered Maldivian waters and boarded Maldivian fishing boats in the north of the Maldives.
In a statement, the Defence Ministry said the request was made through the Foreign Ministry. The Indian Coast Guard boarded Maldivian boats in violation of international law, the ministry added.
A government official told Adhadhu on Sunday that the Indian government has not yet responded.
Only 24 MPs were in attendance at the opening sitting of the People's Majlis as Muizzu delivered his first presidential address.
The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Democrats decided to boycott the sitting due to the "undemocratic ways of the government."
A total of 56 MPs boycotted Monday's opening sitting of the People's Majlis. They are 13 MPs from the Democrats and 44 MPs from the MDP.
