US Ambassadors expresses hopes that CoNI report would ascertain date of election

United States Ambassador to the Maldives, Patricia A. Butenis has expressed hopes that the date of the next Presidential Elections would be ascertained when the Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI) concludes its investigation of the events surrounding the February 7 transfer of power.

Ambassador Butenis made this remark while speaking to the media at the VIP Lounge at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport prior to her departure from Maldives.

US Ambassador said that the US government will cooperate with the present government of President Dr. Mohamed Waheed until the CoNI finishes the investigation and issues the final report into the events that lead to the transfer of power.

Butenis noted that she met with the former President Mohamed Nasheed, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and other political leaders during her visit. She said that she requested both of them to provide the way to move ahead with the all party talks.

In addition to this Ambassador Butenis said that the US government will grant Maldives with US$500,000 to provide technical support to ensure that the next Presidential elections meets the international elections standard which would assist local election monitoring establishments to monitor the elections effectively.