New Delhi/Colombo, Feb 10
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today dispatched a special envoy to the Maldives to intensify diplomatic efforts to ensure a peaceful transition. M Ganpathi, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry, left for Male to assess the ground situation there.

Reports from Male, however, spoke of an uneasy lull. Ousted President Nasheed, still free despite a warrant of arrest, demanded a fresh election and threatened to take to the streets if the demand was not met. He also complained that his supporters at Addu were being dragged out of homes and beaten by the police. “Even as we speak, we are losing a country,” he told Reuters.

The UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, Fernandez-Taranco, called on the incumbent President Mohamed Waheed Hassan. A Commonwealth delegation and diplomats from the UK, the US, the EU and India are holding consultations at Male to defuse the situation.

In Colombo, meanwhile, a small group of Maldivians, wearing yellow shirts (colour of the Maldivian Democratic Party of Nasheed), demonstrated to protest the ouster of an elected government. An estimated 8,000 Maldivians live in Sri Lanka.

“We fought hard for democracy and will not give up now,” said one of them.

New Delhi reiterated on Friday that it favoured a government of national unity,followed by an early election. ‘’Stablity is a key imperative since the Maldives is heavily dependent on tourism. Any outside interference will not be helpful,’’ said sources in the MEA.

Shortly after his arrival in the Maldivian capital, Ganpathi held meetings with newly sworn-in President Waheed Hassan, ousted President Mohamed Nasheed and other leaders.

Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, who was in Washington earlier this week, held discussions on the developments in the Maldives with his American interlocutors. He also discussed the issue with British officials in London while returning from the US. Both the US and Britain agreed with India’s position that the situation in the Maldives must be resolved by the people themselves through peaceful means.

Sources in the MEA said none of the estimated 30,000 Indians in the Maldives had so far sought any assistance. Since the Maldives was geographically not located far from India, providing any assistance to them would not be difficult, they added.

New Delhi has not taken kindly to Nasheed’s allegation that he had sought India’s help which did not come through. The sources explained that the Indian envoy in Male had been constantly in touch with the ousted leader. On February 6, Nasheed told the Indian High Commissioner that the situation was detriorating but he did not need any asistance. The next day, he told the envoy that since demonstrations against him had turned violent, he had decided to resign.

“We did not get the impression that Nasheed was under any duress,’’ the sources added. They also doubted his statement that he was forced out of office at gunpoint.