By Sanjay Kumar
A constitutional amendment in the Maldives has India worried about Chinese influence.
The Maldives’ recent constitutional amendment was perhaps the fastest to clear the parliament in recent history. With no debate, no consultation, and no time for legislators to study the draft, the Majlis, the Maldivian parliament, passed a landmark amendment authorizing foreign ownership of land thereby raising questions regarding the intents of the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM). It took the parliament under 24 hours to effect a major change in the constitution, allowing foreigners to acquire land on a freehold basis on any of the 1,200 islands that comprise the Maldives.
“There has been no public debate, no consultation and the amendment passed so quickly that everyone is still in shock. It was an unprecedented move and people are still confused,” says Zaheena Rasheed, editor of Minivan News, a prominent news portal in the Maldives.
The amendment, in a radical departure from the past, allows foreign nationals to buy land on a freehold basis. Many legislators critical of the amendment says that it is aimed at giving China a foothold in the Indian ocean, disturbing the balance of power between New Delhi and Beijing in the region.
The new law allows foreigners to invest up to $1 billion in an area on a freehold basis. 70 of the archipelagic state’s 84 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill and just 14 against. The opposition party, led by the now-imprisoned former President Mohamed Nasheed, also supported the amendment.
Those opposing the new legislation don’t mince their words, however.
Read the full story at The Diplomat