After looming impeachment fears, the Maldives government- led by Mohamed Muizzu, is now grappling with a crisis in its crucial tourism sector—the main driver of its economy. The Maldives, once a preferred destination for Bharatiyas, has lately witnessed a substantial decline in the number of tourists arriving from Bharat in January. This decline is attributed to the “Boycott Maldives” trend following the insulting remarks made by three of its ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to the Maldives’ Tourism Ministry, Bharatiya visitors have dropped from being the third largest to now being at the fifth spot. The dramatic shift comes after three Maldivian ministers insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his recent visit to Lakshadweep, after which “Boycott Maldives” started trending.
Though President Muizzu did suspend the ministers who insulted PM Modi, the damage had already been done, upsetting Bharatiyas, who along with several celebrities called for a boycott of Maldives and urged people to travel to Lakshadweep.
Meanwhile, fears of impeachment are currently threatening President Mohamed Muizzu as the Opposition parties have initiated an impeachment process against the Maldivian government. Reacting to the development, the coalition government including the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People’s National Congress (PNC) said they would not allow efforts to remove President Muizzu, adding that they would have to “kill us first” before thinking of causing any damage to President Muizzu. PPM’s MP Ahmed Saleem stated that the coalition government would not give any opportunities to the Opposition parties, The Democrats and the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), to proceed with the impeachment process.
Pertinently, the coalition claimed that despite the Opposition parties’ majority in the parliament, such events against the Muizzu government would not be acknowledged and would not be allowed to be taken forward.
The massive setback for Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu came on Monday when the main opposition party, MDP, decided to initiate an impeachment motion against him following his government’s recent diplomatic tensions with allied nations like Bharat. After joining hands with The Democrats, the party gathered sufficient signatures required to initiate a no-confidence motion.
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