India managed to break the deadlock in the Maldives after hectic parleys the MEA team held with several players in Male.
An official in the know of things told The Hindu that it required a lot of patience, synchronisation of efforts of multiple actors, and working with a few select interlocutors to pull off the deal.
During the period, External Affairs Minister Salman Kurshid spoke to his Maldivian counterpart thrice, which, put together, lasted a few hours. “We had a very small window. We made it clear at every turn that our interest was only in a free, fair, credible and inclusive election,” the official said.
India had converted the crisis created by the former President, Mohamed Nasheed, walking into the High Commission into an opportunity, the official added. India, the MEA, and the Indian Mission in Male were criticised for their handling of the events, but the team decided not to engage public opinion for the moment. They had a job on hand, and the team had the confidence of the highest authorities in India.
Some of the decisions were made on the spot in Male, and later conveyed to New Delhi, when a sequence of events was drawn up and sent. New Delhi had complete faith in the team, and none of its initiatives came in for criticism.
Mr. Nasheed thanked India for the support it had extended to him.
