Singapore court order clears the way for Male to
throw out GMR
In a serious setback to Indian strategic interests in Maldives, and to
India’s image in the region, the Indian multinational company, GMR, which is
operating the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport here for over two years, will
exit Maldives on Friday.
On Thursday, the Singapore Court of Appeal held that Maldives had the
right to annul a contract it had signed with GMR, barely a day before the
government-set deadline to throw out the airport operator expired. “The
Maldives government has the power to do what it wants, including expropriating
the airport,” Sundaresh Menon, the Chief Justice of Singapore, said in court,
according to Reuters.
The Defence Minister, Mohamed Nazim, who is also the acting Transport
Minister, met GMR representatives soon after the Court decision to work out
modalities for the transfer of the airport to the Maldives Airport Company
Limited [MACL]. “An overseeing committee has been constituted. This will meet
at 10 am on Friday to discuss all outstanding issues,” said Masood Imad, Media
Secretary to President Mohamed Waheed.
The Maldivian Government representatives who spoke to The Hindu insisted
that the whole issue was a “company-to-company” affair [GMR and MACL] and had
nothing to do with governments of both countries. “The cost of the India –
Maldives relationship is not $ 600 million or whatever this project costs,” Mr.
Imad said. “We will walk the extra mile to ensure that India – Maldives
relations are not affected because of one single project,” he added.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed urged the government to re-think the
move. “The government must pull back from the brink and cease its
counter-productive behaviour, which is damaging the nation’s economy and
bilateral relations. The Maldives is rapidly developing a reputation among
foreign investors akin to Zimbabwe, where government might is right and
contract law counts for nothing,” Mr. Nasheed warned.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/maldives-can-take-back-airport-from-gmr-says-singapore-court/article4172797.ece
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