Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has stated that the Maldivian government accepting any claims of sovereignty on the Chagos Islands by Mauritius is equivalent to agreeing on giving up a part of Maldivian territory.

Speaker Nasheed made the statement following Maradhoo MP Ibrahim Shareef's statement while debating on an emergency motion submitted by Maduvvari MP Adam Shareef over Maldives’ change in stance on recognizing Mauritius' sovereignty over Chagos.

Shareef highlighted that the Chagos Archipelago is part of the Maldives, stressing that the islands became part of the United Kingdom (UK) only when the Maldives agreed to concede it. He added that the Maldives changing their stand over the sovereignty of Chagos is not necessarily an issue that should result in losing any part of the Maldivian territory.

Speaker Nasheed had cut MP Shareef, requesting all lawmakers to refrain from making any statements that were confusing the current chain of events.

He highlighted that accepting the Mauritian claim of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands is a decision with which the Maldives stands to lose a part of its territory.

MP Shareef however rebutted Speaker Nasheed's statement, saying that it was completely opposite of the truth. As such he highlighted that the government could not simply agree to give away part of its territory noting that no such agreement has been reached.

He further noted that such a decision does not rest on the hands of the President, and that it could only be done by a motion passed by the Parliament.