Former President Nasheed warns India it would lose influence to China
(Deccanherald): Dejected by the cold shoulder given by India, ousted Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed said today that New Delhi has taken his party "for granted" and may lose "leverage" to China under the new regime.

Calling himself a great lover of India, Nasheed said unlike the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) of former dictator Abdul Gayoom, his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was pro-India by ideology.

"My question to Indian establishment is that if they think we did not perform, do they think this is a better option?" asked the 44-year-old who was the first democratically elected President of Maldives, who ascended to power in 2008 after a democratic revolution overthrew Gayoom's 30-year-rule.

"Unlike PPM, we are a group of people who strongly believe in India, their role and functions in Indian Ocean and the relationship that we want with India," he said speaking to PTI at his residence.

This is not the first time Nasheed has expressed unhappiness with India's response to the political crisis that saw him being deposed last week in what he termed was a coup.Last week, Nasheed made it plain that he was disappointed that India responded to the crisis without understanding the ground situation in his country.

Nasheed said while India and the US both had failed to gauge the ground reality, it was the smaller European nations that are trying to find out what the situation is and what will be best way forward.

He said India must understand the situation in Maldives and it was "very strange" if it has not."The thing is India takes us for granted unlike the PPM. I think this is the biggest reason, a more logical reason. They know we will be with them. It is an ideological thing for us," said the former president.

Nasheed said China will now start playing a more active role in the country and hinted that Maldives National Defence Force is keen to renew a defence agreement with Beijing."They (China) will certainly play an active role now. They will play much-much more active role," Nasheed said.

He said when his party came into the government in 2008, there was a defence agreement with China. And this was supposed to have been renewed in 2009 and "I didn't".

"I had this paper on my desk even two weeks back. The MNDF had sent me the letter again saying I have to sign it. And this time they said I have to sign it," he said. As unrest continues on Maldivian streets, Nasheed's successor Mohamed Waheed Hassan, is working to put into effect an effective national unity government.