Maldives agreeable to Commonwealth probe of coup charge

Europe Sun Monday 13th February, 2012

MALE Maldives new government Monday expressed willingness to face any independent probe into the transfer of power with the Commonwealth proposing to send a fact-finding team amid efforts by several countries to resolve the political crisis.

A Commonwealth ministerial mission is set to arrive soon to investigate the ousting of former president Mohammed Nasheed after overnight clashes in the capital Male.

Nasheed, the Muslim nation's first democratically elected leader who came to power in 2008, has charged that his ouster was not due to weeks of violent protests but was a military coup orchestrated by his former vice president and current Maldives president Mohamed Waheed and his supporters.

The change of regime is facing a step up in protests with the new government facing charges of having stage managed a coup.

Nasheed has declined the new president's offer to join the newly constituted cabinet.

On Sunday, he rejected a US call for compromise and the formation of a unity government.

"We welcome the decision. We are completely transparent. We have already said that we would welcome any independent probe into the turn of events," government spokesman Masood Imad said.

The 54-nation Commonwealth grouping's decision to send a ministerial probe team came after an emergency telephone conference of the nine-member Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG).

At the "extraordinary" session, CMAG agreed to constitute a ministerial mission which will visit the Maldives "urgently to ascertain the facts surrounding the transfer of power, and to promote adherence to Commonwealth values and principles," the Commonwealth Secretariat said in a statement issued in London.

"CMAG recognised the impressive gains made by Maldives in recent years in consolidating multi-party democracy, and expressed solidarity with the people of Maldives to select a government of their choice through democratic means," it said.

UN Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco concluded a four-day visit Monday urging "all parties to ensure that no incitements to violence."

"The Maldives cannot afford a descent into violence and protracted instability that would jeopardize the progress achieved by the country since 2008," Fernandez-Taranco said.

A popular luxury holiday destination, Maldives is a chain of nearly 1,200 islands off southern India.