Maldives cancelled Muizzu's meeting with US ambassador to India Sergio Gor last month

US ambassador to India and Donald Trump confidante Sergio Gor apparently got a taste of “Maldivian hospitality” last month when he was unable to meet President Mohamed Muizzu during his visit to Male on March 23.

While Gor tweeted about his meetings with the Maldivian foreign and defence ministers the same day, a scheduled meeting with President Muizzu was cancelled by the Maldivian side at the last moment. Apparently, when the powerful 39-year-old US ambassador asked Muizzu’s office to reconsider the meeting through diplomatic channels, it is understood that the Maldivian side proposed a private behind-the-doors meeting with President Muizzu. This, apparently, was declined by the US envoy for Central and South Asian affairs, who left Male for Delhi without meeting the man who swept to power on an anti-India mandate on November 17, 2023.

Even though everyone is tight-lipped about the non-meeting with Gor, it is learnt that Muizzu kept away from the US Ambassador as he is against the US-Israel war on Iran and is apparently virulently opposed to the Benjamin Netanyahu government and Israel. A more palatable view floated in Male is that President Muizzu has hardly met anyone for the past few months as he does not want to be pressured by visitors on Maldives politics and development.

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Although Muizzu may have not met Gor for political reasons, he and his party People’s National Congress received a strong mid-term rebuke from the electorate as he lost the local municipal elections (something the ruling party never loses). The public also overwhelmingly rejected a constitutional referendum on concurrent presidential and parliamentary elections by a decisive margin, with 60% of the public voting against the proposal. Both the Municipal elections and the referendum voting were held on April 4. To top it all, the Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party scored victories in all five city mayoral races.

Apart from Muizzu being in a dire political situation, the country’s finances are also in a deep mess. Male has asked New Delhi to roll over $400 million loan for at least two to three years. The financial crisis came after Muizzu repaid a $100 million Eurobond and $400 million Islamic Sukuk bond loan. While India is still to take a decision on rolling over the loan, New Delhi’s hands are tied as the Union Cabinet had only approved two six months roll-overs, which have already been given to Maldives government. The final decision on this roll-over is still pending.

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To further complicate matters, Muizzu, despite giving the Greater Male Connectivity Project to India, awarded the first phase of the Thilafushi port project to China Harbour Engineering Company on February 5, reneging on an understanding to give the port development project to India. Ironically, the Greater Male Connectivity Project was to connect Male with Thilafushi port.