President in Maldives to mediate

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is reaching Maldives early on Wednesday to mediate between counterpart Mohamed Nasheed and a sulking opposition to resolve the ongoing political deadlock, the Hindustan Times reports.

When Ada Derana contacted the President’s Media confirmed that President Rajapaksa has indeed left for Maldiveson an official visit however could not state the reasons behind the departure.

Nasheed’s cabinet comprising 13 ministers resigned en masse last week citing problems with the 77-member opposition-controlled Majlis (Parliament).

Legislative and executive powers are separated in Maldives. Since the resignations, the government has accused the opposition of attempting to bribe independent MPs.

Sources told the Hindustan Times that Rajapaksa was slated to meet Nasheed Wednesday morning to reach a ``political and practical compromise’’ and ensure that the 20-month old government survived. Nasheed’s government is the first one to be democratically elected in Maldives, a country of 1192 islands, though his party, Maldivian Democratic Party doesn’t enjoy a majority in Parliament.

Rajapaksa’s visit was unplanned, diplomatic sources in Male told HT, adding his foreign minister, GL Peiris, was already in capital Male.

New Delhi, it was learnt, is closely monitoring the situation. ``The way to resolve the deadlock is statesmanship,’’ a diplomat said.