New Delhi, February 18
Even as India and the Maldives remained engaged in a war of words over Mohamed Nasheed taking refuge at the Indian mission in Male, a fresh arrest warrant was issued against the former President by a Maldivian court.

With Nasheed remaining holed up inside the High Commission for the sixth day, the media unit of the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court confirmed that the second arrest warrant has ordered police to produce the former President at the court on February 20 at 4 pm, news reports from Male said.

Nasheed and his party have maintained that the charges levelled against him of illegally detaining Chief Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed during his regime’s final days in January last year were politically motivated, aimed at preventing him from contesting the presidential election scheduled for September this year. The latest warrant comes days after Nasheed failed to attend the last two scheduled hearings on February 10 and February 13.

The Maldives Election Commission president Fuad Thaufeeq, meanwhile, warned that if Nasheed’s trial proved to be a tool to bar him from contesting the election, it would cast doubts over the integrity of the election process. He said Nasheed should get a fair trial in accordance with the Constitution and the law and that such a trial should not be politically motivated.

Thaufeeq said Nasheed was a former President who ought to receive the privileges a former President was entitled to as stipulated in the law. It was also deeply concerning to see that the Presidential candidate of the largest political party had sought refuge at a diplomatic mission.

There was no end in sight to the verbal duel between India and the Maldives over Nasheed taking refuge at the Indian mission. A day after the Maldives summoned Indian High Commissioner D M Mulay to lodge a protest against Nasheed’s stay at the mission, New Delhi vehemently denied the charge that its High Commission was being used for holding public meetings to incite violence. “Only limited visitors are allowed to meet the former President on strict need basis,” the High Commission said.

In another development, Maldives President Mohamed Waheed committed himself to holding a free, fair and inclusive election in which all political parties would be allowed to participate. He said he had invited friendly governments and international organisations to assist in preparations for the election and to provide international observers. “I promise to the people of Maldives and our international partners that my government will do utmost to promote democracy in the country,” he added.