Maldives sacks vice-president for �treason�

AFP, COLOMBO: The Maldives parliament has sacked the country’s vice-president and accused him of treason, as international concern mounts over the state of democracy on the honeymoon islands.
Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday evening to oust Mohamed Jameel, who was the running mate of President Abdulla Yameen in a
controversial 2013 election but has now fallen out with him.
The 45-year-old, who was abroad at the time of the vote, was also accused of colluding with the opposition, although the precise nature of the charge remains unclear.
Yameen’s defence minister has also been jailed on charges of trying to topple the government.
Yameen already faces international criticism for the jailing of the country’s main opposition leader and former president Mohamed Nasheed for 13 years on charges of terrorism.
The United Nations said the trial of Nasheed, the country’s first democratically elected leader, was “vastly unfair”, while US Secretary of State John Kerry warned that democracy was under threat.

Maldives sacks vice-president for �treason�

AFP, COLOMBO: The Maldives parliament has sacked the countrys vice-president and accused him of treason, as international concern mounts over the state of democracy on the honeymoon islands. Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday evening to oust Mohamed Jameel, who was the running mate of President Abdulla Yameen in a controversial 2013 election but has now fallen out with him. The 45-year-old, who was abroad at the time of the vote, was also accused of colluding with the opposition, although the precise nature of the charge remains unclear. Yameens defence minister has also been jailed on charges of trying to topple the government. Yameen already faces international criticism for the jailing of the countrys main opposition leader and former president Mohamed Nasheed for 13 years on charges of terrorism. The United Nations said the trial of Nasheed, the countrys first democratically elected leader, was vastly unfair, while US Secretary of State John Kerry warned that democracy was under threat.