Malé banks on Indian projects to tame opposition

As the pro-China opposition in the Maldives takes to the streets for the release of jailed former president, Abdulla Yameen, Malé has underscored the commitment by both India and Maldives to use India's recently announced financial support for quick delivery of intended benefits to the Maldivian people.
The opposition, among other things, has accused the Maldives government of "selling off" the country.
While the situation is, as sources in the Maldives foreign ministry said, fully under control, the local government has instituted security measures in the Greater Malé region with focus on the Indian mission and other establishments. The protests have coincided with a fire in the SBI office in Malé.
The Indian mission is now being guarded by the Maldives National Defence Force.
"The Maldives-India partnership continues to grow from strength to strength, based on the traditionally strong ties, and dynamic people-to-people contact, and further invigorated by the close partnership between President Solih and Prime Minister Modi," said a source in the Maldives ministry of foreign Affairs.
"Both countries are committed to delivering results. The number of development projects being undertaken with Indian financial support are progressing at excellent speed and will soon deliver their intended benefits to the people of the Maldives," added the official.
The security review followed a motorcycle rally calling for the release of Yameen who is currently serving a 5-year sentence in prison on money laundering charges. This rally, according to local government officials, was held also in direct contravention of the guidelines put in place by health agencies to check the community spread of Covid19 in the capital.
Maldivian government sources also said though that there was no reason to panic and that security measures that had been instituted were part of a "routine security exercise" in the Greater Male Region.
The opposition, led by Yameen's Progressive Party of Maldives, said in a statement Sunday that the country was facing an unprecedented economic crisis that threatened a "massive recession and sovereign debt crises". Officials both here and in Maldives believe though that Yameen's party has been rattled by what India has described as a "reset" in ties since President Ibrahim Solih assumed office in November 2018.
As officials here have said, India’s total financial commitment to Maldives since Solih took charge as president - covering all loan and grant projects - is well over US $ 2 billion.
India recently announced the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) calling it the largest ever infrastructure project to be implemented in the Maldives. The project, according to Indian government sources, was a key election promise of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party for which Solih had "personally" sought India’s assistance during his meeting with foreign minister S Jaishankar in Maldives in September 2019. The government sees as unprecedented the fact that all approvals for a project of this size were obtained in less than an year.
India is hoping that the high-visibility "landmark" project will also outshine 1.39 km Maldives-China Friendship bridge, seen as the most significant infrastructure project in Maldives built with foreign assistance.