We are Ready to Collaborate with Any Party Willing to Address the Chagos Issue: Opposition
Opposition People’s National Congress (PNC)’s president, Abdul Raheem (Adhurey), has stated that he is open to collaborating with anyone who is willing to work together on the Chagos dispute.
Abdul Raheem made this statement during a press conference held at the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) office yesterday.
He also stated the PPM/PNC has taken more initiative than any other political party and was the first to endeavor to take action on the Chagos dispute.
“We started working on this before any other parties mentioned, and former President Yameen began working on it before going to jail last year. We have been raising concerns since then."
Abdul Raheem
Abdul Raheem has alleged that the current government is only recognizing the Chagos dispute as a significant issue due to the upcoming elections. He further stated that PPM's discussion of the matter is not influenced by the elections.
“We believe that the Chagos dispute is a matter of national importance, and as PPM/PNC, we are open to collaborating with any party willing to join hands with us to address this issue."
Abdul Raheem
The case that Mauritius filed at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) regarding the boundaries between Maldives and Mauritius was concluded in a manner that aligns with the position advocated by Maldives.
The verdict determined that neither country could claim the entire 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone, resulting in a 95,000-acre area of overlapping economically significant territory between the Maldives and Mauritius.
In the hearing, Mauritius proposed Blenheim Reef as the border, but the ITLOS rejected the proposal due to insufficient evidence, ultimately ruling in favor of the Maldives' suggestion of Peros Banhos and Salmon Islands.
Advertisement
