Maldives oppn urges global community to help end crisis
Pressure President Yameen into obeying a court order to restore democracy to the troubled honeymoon islands
AFP
MAL: Opposition leaders in the Maldives urged the international community yesterday to pressure President Abdulla Yameen into obeying a court order to free political prisoners and restore democracy to the troubled honeymoon islands, reports AFP.
Yameens regime has so far refused to release nine jailed dissidents and reinstate opposition lawmakers as ordered by the Maldives top court in a shock ruling last week that has deepened turmoil in the atoll nation.
The Supreme Court on Sunday asked Yameen to comply with its order, saying the dissidents must be released because their trials were politically motivated and flawed.
But the strongman leader has remained defiant, suspending parliament, ordering the arrest of two returning opposition defectors and staging a rally late Sunday with hundreds of supporters in the capital Male.
In a letter addressed to the international community, Maldive opposition lawmakers appealed for external support in persuading Yameen to end the tense standoff with the countrys highest court.
We request the international community, including India, Sri Lanka, the US, Britain, the EU... to do everything in their power to help return power to the people of the Maldives and restore democracy, the statement read.
Yameen has faced increasing pressure to respect Thursdays landmark court ruling, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the weekend calling for restraint as the crisis escalated.
Impeachment illegal - The United Nations, Australia, Britain, Canada, India and the United States welcomed the courts decision as a move towards restoring democracy in the troubled Indian Ocean nation. Yameen has faced previous unsuccessful opposition attempts to impeach him for alleged corruption. But the court order, to restore the seats of 12 government MPs who defected to the opposition, would effectively reduce Yameens party to a minority.
Attorney General Mohamed Anil warned Sunday that any move to impeach the president would be unconstitutional and illegal. Two opposition lawmakers who returned to the Maldives since the courts ruling were detained by police to face court on Monday.
