Related ArticlesTermination of GMR agreement unlawful, declares arbitration courtJune 19, 2014The best relief the Indian government can provide to the Maldivian people over the premature termination of the GMR airport contract and the subsequent compensation pay-out, would be to help change the Maldives government, former president Mohamed Nasheed, leader of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said.
Nasheed made the remarks at a party gathering on Sunday night, where he said that the Indian government must fully understand the circumstances under which the current government came to power.
“I still want the Indian government to provide the best possible relief. I believe the relief would be for the [Indian] government to work with the Maldivian people to change the Maldives government. The Indian government must fully understand the reality, the circumstances under which this government was formed,” said former president Mohamed Nasheed.
He also accused former president and leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of masterminding the controversial change of power in February 2012 that brought an end to Nasheed’s MDP government.
Speaking at Sunday night’s event, Nasheed said Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, in his campaign to expel GMR and oust Nasheed, had worked to foster animosity amongst the public against the Indian people.
Nasheed resigned under contentious circumstances on 7 February 2012 following a series of protest orchestrated by opposition parties. The contract to develop and manage Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) was terminated by Nasheed's successor Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik on 29 November 2012 after declaring that the concession agreement with GMR was void ab initio (invalid from the outset).
An international arbitration court in Singapore ruled on Wednesday that the concession agreement between Maldives government and GMR was valid and binding.
Nasheed said at the gathering on Sunday that the compensation settlement will not be lower than $800 million. Maldives has less the $100 million in its reserve and the compensation pay-out will cripple the economy, he said. GMR is seeking a compensation of $1.4 billion, a value that exceeds the Maldives annual budget.
The arbitration tribunal has directed the Maldives government to pay $4 million to a subsidiary of GMR as compensation for legal costs within 42 days of the verdict. However, the tribunal has yet to declare the full compensation liable for the termination of the contract.
“Our country is in debt and it threatens our independence. We are being plunged into this pothole. I call on all Maldivians to wake the country from its slumber,” said former president Nasheed, speaking to his supporters on Sunday.