Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has taken the oath of office before thousands of people and hundreds of foreign dignitaries, vowing to end systematic corruption and investigate alleged human rights abuses under his predecessor, Abdulla Yameen.

Solih received a 21-gun salute after being sworn in on Saturday as the Indian Ocean island nation's seventh president at a special parliamentary assembly at the national football stadium in the capital, Male.

Addressing the crowd of 12,000 people, the 54-year-old pledged to see through his promises to establish justice and equality, as well as "eradicate corruption and theft".

"We need to focus on moving ahead, to take back the rights we have been denied, and save our nation from its dismal condition," he said.

Solih is expected to appoint a 19-member cabinet and name the attorney general later on Saturday.

'Justice for those abused'

Solih won a contentious election in September promising to restore democracy after a wide-ranging crackdown on dissent during Yameen's five-year term.

The former president had jailed or forced into exile nearly all opposition leaders, banned protests, detained Supreme Court judges and suspended parliament for long periods of time.

Most politicians who were sentenced during Yameen's tenure were released following Solih's shock win on September 23.

"We need to help seek justice for those subject to abuse and unfair treatment. The treasury needs to be strengthened. Unaccountable deaths and disappearances need to be investigated and findings disclosed," Solih said on Saturday.

"For us to move ahead as one nation, such grave matters need to be addressed immediately."

Aishath Rasheed, whose brother was murdered last year in an attack over his religious beliefs, said Solih's inauguration was a "moment of hope" for her family.

"His speech gives me hope to find justice for my brother. I pray and hope this holds true," said Rasheed, who was among the thousands invited to the stadium by the new president's office.

Fezleen Saleem, who was also at the stadium, said people were "jubilant" and "applauding" when Solih was sworn in.

"There was hope in the air. It gave me goosebumps every now and then," she said.

Many Maldivians also took to social media to celebrate.

Zuroo Majid, in a Twitter post, said: "What a glorious feeling to wake up to hope and change", while Ahmed Fauzan said he could not believe Yameen was "out ... it would take some time for this to sink in".

'Precarious finances'

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the more than 300 foreign dignitaries at the ceremony in Male.

The visit is Modi's first to the Maldives after years of tense relations between the two countries because of Yameen's embrace of China during his tenure.

Beijing reportedly loaned more than $1.5bn to fund a massive infrastructure boom under the former president.

In an apparent reference to the Chinese debt, Solih, who has promised an "India first" foreign policy, said the Maldives was "in a precarious financial situation" because of "reckless mega development projects undertaken purely for political gain", and appealed for help from foreign countries and international organisations to address the issue.

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Modi, in a Facebook post on Friday, already pledged India's help to the Maldives "in the areas of infrastructure, healthcare, connectivity and human resource development".

Meanwhile, Yameen, who lost a court challenge to overturn his poll defeat, did not attend the ceremony, nor did several legislators from his party.

Mohamed Nasheed and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, two former presidents who were jailed during Yameen's time in office following trials that were widely condemned as politically motivated, were both present at the oath-taking ceremony.

Solih, who ran as the joint candidate of a coalition led by Nasheed and Gayoom, said reforms to ensure judicial independence was his government's "highest priority area".</s>Male: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that he is looking forward to working with new Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to strengthen India's bilateral relations with the strategic Indian Ocean island nation.

Prime Minister Modi attended the swearing-in ceremony of Solih, who surprisingly defeated strongman Abdulla Yameen in September.

During the swearing-in ceremony of Solih, Modi was sitting beside former Maldivian presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga also attended the ceremony.

Modi congratulated President Solih and also interacted with leaders from the Maldives and other parts of the world during the oath taking ceremony at the National Stadium.

“Congratulations to Mr. @ibusolih on taking oath as the President of the Maldives. Wishing him the very best for his tenure ahead. Looking forward to working with him to strengthen bilateral relations between our nations,” Modi tweeted.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar said that President Solih in his address to the People's Majlis (Parliament) asserted that the Maldives will endeavour to fortify its existing ties with India.

"Maldives President Solih in his address to the People's Majlis:We will endeavour to fortify existing ties with India. Maldives will hereupon bolster its shared role to retain enduring peace & harmony of the Indian Ocean," Kumar tweeted.

Solih, 54, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party's candidate, had surprisingly emerged victorious over incumbent president Yameen in the election held on 23 September.

On arrival in the Maldivian capital, Prime Minister Modi was given a red carpet welcome and was received by Maldives Parliament's new Speaker Qasim Ibrahim.

This is Modi's first visit to the Maldives as prime minister. The last visit by an Indian prime minister to the Indian Ocean island nation was by Manmohan Singh in 2011.

"The visit reflects India's commitment to assist the Government & people of Maldives in their endeavour to build a peaceful, democratic & prosperous country,” Kumar tweeted.

In a series of tweets ahead of the visit, Modi had tweeted, "I will convey to the new Maldivian Government of Mr Solih the desire of the Indian Government to work closely for realisation of their developmental priorities, especially in areas of infrastructure, health care, connectivity & human resource development."

He said the recent elections in the Maldives represent the collective aspirations of the people for democracy, rule of law and a prosperous future.

"We in India strongly desire to see a stable, democratic, prosperous and peaceful Republic of Maldives," the prime minister had said.

The Maldives is the only South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation SAARC country that Modi has not visited. His visit to the Maldives, a strategically vital island and a popular tourist destination, was cancelled in March 2015 due to the volatile political situation then.

India-Maldives ties came under strain under Yameen who was perceived to be close to China. Some decisions by Yameen including imposition of restrictions on work visas for Indians and signing of a new Free Trade Agreement with Beijing also did not go down well with New Delhi.

Relations between India and the Maldives deteriorated further after Yameen imposed emergency on February 5 this year. India had criticised his decision and asked his government to restore the credibility of the electoral and political process by releasing political prisoners. The emergency lasted for 45 days.</s>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attended the swearing-in ceremony of Maldives President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who surprisingly defeated strongman Abdulla Yameen in September. During the swearing-in ceremony of Solih, Modi was sitting beside former Maldivian presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga also attended the ceremony.

Modi interacted with leaders from the Maldives and other parts of the world during the oath taking ceremony. Solih, 54, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s candidate, had surprisingly emerged victorious over incumbent president Yameen in the election held on September 23. On arrival in the Maldivian capital, Prime Minister Modi was given a red carpet welcome and was received by Maldives Parliament Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed.

This is Modi’s first visit to the Maldives as prime minister. The last visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Indian Ocean island nation was by Manmohan Singh in 2011. In a series of tweets ahead of the visit, Modi had tweeted, “I will convey to the new Maldivian Government of Mr Solih the desire of the Indian Government to work closely for realisation of their developmental priorities, especially in areas of infrastructure, health care, connectivity & human resource development,”

He said the recent elections in the Maldives represent the collective aspirations of the people for democracy, rule of law and a prosperous future. “We in India strongly desire to see a stable, democratic, prosperous and peaceful Republic of Maldives,” the prime minister had said. The Maldives is the only South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation SAARC country that Modi has not visited. His visit to the Maldives, a strategically vital island and a popular tourist destination, was cancelled in March 2015 due to the volatile political situation then.

India-Maldives ties came under strain under Yameen who was perceived to be close to China. Some decisions by Yameen including imposition of restrictions on work visas for Indians and signing of a new Free Trade Agreement with Beijing also did not go down well with New Delhi. Relations between India and the Maldives deteriorated further after Yameen imposed emergency on February 5 this year. India had criticised his decision and asked his government to restore the credibility of the electoral and political process by releasing political prisoners. The emergency lasted for 45 days.</s>Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived on Saturday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Maldives President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who surprisingly defeated strongman Abdulla Yameen in September.

This is Modi's first visit to the Maldives as prime minister. The last visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Indian Ocean island nation was by Manmohan Singh in 2011.

"I will convey to the new Maldivian Government of Mr Solih the desire of the Indian Government to work closely for realisation of their developmental priorities, especially in areas of infrastructure, health care, connectivity & human resource development," Modi said in a series of tweets ahead of the visit.

He said the recent elections in the Maldives represent the collective aspirations of the people for democracy, rule of law and a prosperous future.

"We in India strongly desire to see a stable, democratic, prosperous and peaceful Republic of Maldives," the prime minister said.

Modi also congratulated Solih on his victory in the recent elections and wished him "the very best for his tenure".

"India and the Maldives share a strong partnership rooted in history, strong bonds between our peoples, and their shared aspiration for peace and prosperity. My Government’s vision of inclusive development ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas’ extends to all our neighbours too," he said.

Modi also said he will convey to Solih his wish to work with the new Maldives government in different areas to boost bilateral ties.

Solih, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s candidate who surprisingly emerged victorious over incumbent president Yameen in the election held on September 23, had extended the invitation during a phone call by Modi.

The Maldives is the only South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation SAARC country that Modi has not visited. His visit to the Maldives, a strategically vital island and a popular tourist destination, was cancelled in March 2015 due to the volatile political situation then.

 India-Maldives ties came under strain under Yameen who was perceived to be close to China. Some decisions by Yameen including imposition of restrictions on work visas for Indians and signing of a new Free Trade Agreement with Beijing also did not go down well with New Delhi.

Relations between India and the Maldives deteriorated further after Yameen imposed emergency on February 5 this year. India had criticised his decision and asked his government to restore the credibility of the electoral and political process by releasing political prisoners. The emergency lasted for 45 days.</s>New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the inauguration ceremony of Maldives president-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Saturday.

This will be Modi's first visit to the Maldives as prime minister.

"I will convey to the new Maldivian Government of Mr. Solih the desire of the Indian Government to work closely for realisation of their developmental priorities, especially in areas of infrastructure, health care, connectivity and human resource development," Modi said in a series of tweets.

He said the recent elections in the Maldives represent the collective aspirations of the people for democracy, rule of law and a prosperous future.

"We in India strongly desire to see a stable, democratic, prosperous and peaceful Republic of Maldives," the prime minister said.

He also congratulated Solih on his victory in the recent elections and wished him "the very best for his tenure".

Modi had recently accepted the invitation extended by Solih to attend his swearing-in ceremony.</s>Ibrahim Mohamed Solih took over as president of the Maldives on Saturday following a fierce political discord caused by the autocratic rule of outgoing leader Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

Thousands of people cheered Solih, from the Maldivian Democratic Party, at a swearing-in ceremony in a soccer stadium chosen to accommodate a large number of his supporters. Chief Justice Abdulla Didi administered the oath of office to the 54-year-old Solih.

The Maldives, an Indian Ocean archipelago known for its luxury resorts, became a multiparty democracy in 2008.

Since getting elected in 2013, Yameen had cracked down on political dissent, jailing rivals and Supreme Court justices. But he suffered an unexpected defeat at the hands of Solih in September’s presidential election.

Neighboring India has been concerned by a growing Chinese influence under Yameen, who signed a series of infrastructure projects with Beijing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the top foreign dignitary to attend Saturday’s ceremony. Modi is trying to reset bilateral ties that suffered during Yameen’s rule.

Solih faces a challenging task of balancing ties with powerful India and China. He will also have to battle widespread corruption and rising Islamist extremism.

Yameen’s attempt to cling to power was dashed by the Supreme Court, which dismissed his petition seeking an annulment of the election result. His party challenged the result, alleging vote rigging, fraud and corruption in the election process.

Solih was chosen as the opposition candidate in July after exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed abandoned plans to run because of a past criminal conviction that made him ineligible. On Saturday, he attended Solih’s swearing-in ceremony after his return from exile in London and Colombo, the capital of neighbouring Sri Lanka.</s>Seen as a fresh revival of ties between India and the Maldives, the two countries agreed to work on peace and stability in the Indian Ocean region following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and new Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Saturday. “The two leaders, while noting the resilience of the relations between India and the Maldives, expressed confidence in the renewal of the close bonds of cooperation and friendship with the election of Solih as the President of the Maldives,” a joint statement issued following the meeting said.

“During their meeting, both leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean and being mindful of each other’s concerns and aspirations for the stability of the region,” it stated. “The two leaders expressed their unwavering commitment and support for increased cooperation in combating terrorism both within the region and elsewhere.”

Prior to the meeting, Modi attended the swearing-in ceremony of Solih in the Maldives’ capital. Modi was the senior-most foreign leader to attend the ceremony in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation that went through immense political turmoil under former President Abdulla Yameen. This is Modi’s first visit to the Maldives and the first prime ministerial visit from India to that country since 2011.

Solih, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s candidate, emerged victorious over Yameen. His term is expected to continue until 2023. He is the seventh President of the Maldives and the third to be elected under the country’s new Constitution. Following his victory in the Maldives presidential election in September, Solih invited Modi to attend his swearing-in ceremony during a telephonic conversation.

The island nation’s relations with India became strained during Yameen’s rule, with tensions peaking after New Delhi criticised Male’s refusal to enforce a Supreme Court ruling quashing the convictions of nine opposition figures, among them former President Mohamed Nasheed, who had gone into exile. Nasheed returned to his country following Solih’s election.

During his speech after the swearing-in, Solih, speaking in Dwivehi, said that his country “will endeavour to fortify existing ties with India”. “Maldives will hereupon bolster its shared role to retain enduring peace and harmony of the Indian Ocean,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar quoted him as saying. During the swearing-in, Nasheed sat beside Modi and the two were seen chatting animatedly. Former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge was also sitting along with them.

Under Nasheed, relations between India and the atoll nation had improved greatly. Former President Yameen was seen as anti-India and pro-China while new President Solih is perceived to be pro-India. China’s increased influence in the Indo-Pacific region sent ripples around capitals across the world. India, the US, Japan and Australia then last year revived a quad they had formed to work for peace and prosperity in the region.

Solih greeted Modi with a warm embrace at the presidential office ahead of their meeting after the swearing-in ceremony. According to the joint statement, Modi thanked Solih for the special gesture of inviting him to the inauguration ceremony. “President Solih also briefed Prime Minister Modi on the dire economic situation facing the country as he takes office,” it stated. “The two leaders discussed ways in which India can continue development partnership, particularly to help the new government in meeting its pledges to the people of the Maldives.”

Solih highlighted the pressing need for increased housing and infrastructure development as well as for establishing water and sewerage systems in the outlying islands. On his part, Modi assured Solih of “India’s firm commitment in assisting the Maldives to achieve sustainable social and economic development”.

“He also conveyed India’s readiness to extend help in every possible way and suggested that both sides should meet at the earliest to work out details as per requirements of the Maldives,” the statement said. Modi also welcomed the expanding opportunities for Indian companies to invest in the Maldives in different sectors for the mutual benefit of both countries. Under Yameen, the Maldives, like several other countries in the region, had come under a debt trap under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) infrastructure push.

According to the joint statement, the Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs will make an official visit to India on November 26 to hold further discussions and to prepare for the forthcoming state visit of Solih to India. Solih also invited Modi to make an official visit to the Maldives in the near future which the latter accepted.

Earlier in the day, Modi was accorded a red carpet welcome on his arrival here with the Speaker of the Maldives Parliament, Qasim Ibrahim, receiving him at the airport.</s>Maldives’ President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih takes office on Saturday, seeking help from India and the United States to climb out from under a mountain of Chinese debt that his predecessor racked up in a breakneck development of the coral islands.

The surprise defeat of pro-China strongman Abdulla Yameen has opened a window for India, the strategic outpost’s traditional political partner, to regain ground lost to Beijing in their tussle for regional dominance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the highest ranking visitor at the inauguration at the national soccer stadium in the capital Male. By contrast, China’s highest-ranking attendee will be Culture and Tourism Minister Luo Shugang.

“I will convey to the new Maldivian government … the desire of my government to work closely for realisation of their developmental priorities, especially in areas of infrastructure, health care, connectivity and human resource development,” the Indian prime minister said in a post on Facebook.

Modi’s presence signals the end of years of frosty relations because of Yameen’s embrace of China, a relationship that had deepened India’s anxieties about being encircled by countries leaning towards Beijing.

In Sri Lanka, an island nation to the southeast of India, the rivalry between New Delhi and Beijing has been one of the triggers for a political crisis in recent weeks.

The low-key Solih, a veteran lawmaker, has promised an “India first” policy in the Maldives, saying the small nation of a little over 400,000 people needs solid ties with its immediate neighbour.

His team is also reviewing millions of dollars of investments from China, as well as the related debt that the country has run up from Chinese lenders and how to restructure it. Solih has said investigations will be launched to find out what happened and fix accountability, Adam Azim, a member of his transition committee, told reporters on Thursday.

“We were led to believe it’s about $1.5 billion, the Chinese debt, but it could be worse,” said another member of Solih’s top economic team, which has been holding discussions with finance ministry officials during the transition following the election in September.

He said the team had already reached out to India, the United States and Saudi Arabia for financial assistance so it could tackle the debt.

“We straightaway need 200-300 million dollars to kick start the budgetary support,” the adviser said.

Debt of $1.5 billion would be more than a quarter of the country’s annual gross domestic product. Another member of the incoming president’s economic team said firm proposals for assistance had been discussed with Indian and U.S. officials.

“FRIENDSHIP” BRIDGE

 Signs of the infrastructure boom are everywhere in Male, from where tourists are whisked off in high speed boats to luxury resorts built on atolls in the turquoise waters.

Some 400 Chinese workers this year completed the mile-long China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, which towers over the city connecting the airport on one island to the capital on another.

The airport itself is undergoing expansion, with a second runway to accommodate the thousands of tourists who arrive each day.

The airport development is an especially sore point with India, after the Maldivian government cancelled a $511 million deal with India’s GMR Infrastructure and later gave the contract to Beijing Urban Construction Group Company Limited.

The Yameen administration also threw open new islands and lagoons from the 1,192 islands that make up the necklace-shaped archipelago for development of resorts.

“There is such secrecy surrounding all these deals that it will take us weeks to figure out what went on,” said Mariya Ahmad, an MP and spokeswoman for Solih.

Sensing an opportunity, India has told Solih’s team it stands ready to help, Indian government officials in New Delhi and Maldivian authorities in Male said.

India had provided a $75 million credit line some years ago, of which a third had been utilised before the diplomatic chill set in with the previous administration, an Indian government official said.

There is also a currency swap agreement between the Reserve Bank of India and the Maldives Monetary Authority that could help maintain financial stability, the official said.

Modi, making his first visit since taking office in 2014, will hold talks with Solih before the inauguration.

India has had a long standing defence cooperation agreement with the Maldives, providing coastal security and patrols of its exclusive economic zone. But Yameen saw such co-operation as a cover for surveillance and had asked India to withdraw two military helicopters along with 50 military personnel this year.

The Indians had refused and now officials in Delhi said they expected the visas of the personnel involved in the operations to be renewed.

“In keeping with its neighbourhood first policy, India looks forward to closely working with Maldives in further deepening the partnership,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said.

A diplomatic source said the United States was also set to increase its engagement with the Maldives. Its relations had also become strained because of Yameen’s crackdown on political rivals and supreme court justices.

But China remains a big player, given the investments by its state companies and as Chinese tourists pour in. That means the relationship is unlikely to completely unravel.

Between January to October this year, 247,911 Chinese tourists arrived, accounting for a fifth of all visitors. India, which is much closer geographically, provided just 5 percent.

China’s embassy did not respond to a request for comment about concerns that its projects had pushed the Maldives into financial difficulties. Soon after Solih’s victory, Beijing had said it hoped the new government would maintain continuity in its policies and create good conditions for Chinese firms.</s>Male, Nov 17 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attended the swearing-in ceremony of new Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih here.

Modi was the senior-most foreign leader to attend the ceremony in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation that went through immense political turmoil under former President Abdulla Yameen.

Solih, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party's candidate, emerged victorious over Yameen. His term is expected to continue until 2023. He is the seventh President of the Maldives and the third to be elected under the country's new Constitution.

The island nation's relations with India became strained during Yameen's rule, with tensions peaking after New Delhi criticised Male's refusal to enforce a Supreme Court ruling quashing the convictions of nine opposition figures, among them former President Mohamed Nasheed, who had gone into exile.

Nasheed returned to his country following Solih's election.

During the swearing-in ceremony, Nasheed sat beside Modi and the two were seen chatting animatedly. Former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge was also sitting along with them.

Under Nasheed, relations between India and the atoll nation had improved greatly.

Former President Yameen was seen as anti-India and pro-China while new President Solih is perceived to be pro-India.

Following his victory in the Maldives presidential election in September, Solih invited Modi to attend his swearing-in ceremony during a telephonic conversation.

Earlier in the day, Modi was accorded a red carpet welcome on his arrival here with the Speaker of the Maldives Parliament, Qasim Ibrahim, receiving him at the airport.</s>The new president of the Maldives was sworn in Saturday at a ceremony attended by some 12,000 invitees, including the prime minister of India, but with the notable absence of his campaign rival, who could face an investigation into his human rights record while in power.

As a candidate for the opposition coalition, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih swept to victory against former president Abdulla Yameen in the September election, prompting the latter to unsuccessfully challenge the results in the small Indian Ocean country's top court.
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih takes the oath of office and becomes the 7th President of the Maldives.