By IANS,
Male : A senior US diplomat said here Saturday that it was too early to conduct a snap poll in the Maldives and urged former president who claimed he was ousted in a coup to join the new coalition government.
At the end of a 12-hour visit to the Indian Ocean island nation, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake said the US is committed to working with the new government and invited all parties to join it to form a grand coalition, reported Xinhua.
“The US hopes that a broadest coalition would be formed and this coalition must work to reform and improve the capacity of the judiciary, the police and election commission to ensure that the election can be held in an orderly and peaceful manner,” said Blake.
He stated that according to civil society with whom he had discussion on Saturday, it was too early to conduct an election because police, election commission and judiciary are not sufficiently prepared to assure free and fair election.
Blake also met former president Mohamed Nasheed, saying he certainly hoped that his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) would join the new government.
“A number of ideas have been explored to try to find ways to bring MDP into the national unity government,” Blake said.
Referring to present political turmoil in the Maldives, Blake said that everybody has to compromise in order to find a way forward.
The US envoy said an independent Maldivian investigation should probe the allegation by Nasheed that he was forced at gunpoint to step down on Tuesday following weeks of protests in the capital Male.
Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan was sworn in president and denied Nasheed was toppled in a coup.
Nasheed vowed to continue street protest unless Waheed stepped down and an early presidential election was called.
“The election is due in 2013. We cannot accept rushed election at this moment,” Waheed said. “If we try to force election, we might spark conflict in the county.”