简体中文
By APD writer Easwaran Rutnam
MALE, Feb. 4 (APD) -- Political turmoil has hit the Maldives as the country’s Supreme Court and government collided following a court ruling.
The Maldives Supreme Court last week ordered the release of nine key political prisoners, including exiled former leader Mohamed Nasheed.
On Sunday, the Maldives government raised fears that the Supreme Court may issue a ruling to impeach President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
The Maldives Attorney General Mohamed Anil said he had advised all law enforcement agencies not to comply with any order that is in conflict with the Constitution of the Maldives, as the Supreme Court does not have any legal or constitutional authority to initiate the removal of a President from Office.
The Attorney General however reiterated that consultations were underway with the Supreme Court in order to implement the court’s ruling of 1 February, within proper rules and procedure, and that the Chief Justice has advised the Administration to follow due process.
Maldivian police enter the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party camp to break up celebrations of the Supreme Court's decision last week.
He also said that the Prosecutor General’s Office has apprised the Supreme Court of the numerous legal challenges in the implementation of the ruling.
The Maldives opposition led by Nasheed said that the statement made by the Attorney General
represents an unconstitutional, highly illegal, and dangerous attempt to usurp the powers of the judiciary.
The opposition Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) said that the intimidation of the Supreme Justices, with the highly irregular statement made by the Attorney General defying the Supreme Court, is tantamount to the effective sidelining of the judiciary and in direct contravention of the Constitution.
“Maldivians are fearful that President Yameen is about to order a full military takeover of the country, in an attempt to ensure he is not removed from office,” the MDP said.
President Abdulla Yameen won a controversial run-off Presidential vote against Nasheed in 2013. Nasheed was later jailed in 2015 but he was granted leave from prison in 2016 for medical treatment in London.
Nasheed however secured political asylum in the UK and often visited Sri Lanka for meetings but never returned to the Maldives to face the remainder of his jail term.
Recently Nasheed announced he will contest the 2018 Presidential election but feared an attempt to prevent him from doing so by the government.
The Maldives government however fears there is an opposition led attempt to remove the Maldives government even before elections scheduled for later this year.
The Maldives Attorney General highlighted that Article 100 of the Maldives’ Constitution very clearly states the terms under which a President may be removed from Office.
A President may be removed by a resolution passed by the People’s Majlis (parliament) and as such the Attorney General noted that there is no role of the courts in this process.
Meanwhile, the MDP said that two members of parliament were arrested on Sunday by the police.
The two MPs, Sinan and Ilham were detained at the airport shortly after they arrived in the country. The police claimed they had a court arrest warrant.
“Today saw scenes of chaos at the parliament, as both riot police and the military in riot gear, sealed off the legislature in an apparent – and illegal – attempt to stop parliamentarians from entering the building. Today was supposed to be the first parliamentary session of 2018.
The political crisis in the Maldives has deepened, with its top court pitted against the president.
Military personnel in full riot gear are currently in the chamber, as opposition MPs try to force a vote of no confidence against the Speaker of Parliament, a Yameen crony. The Secretary-General of parliament, who had announced he would abide by the Supreme Court order to reinstate the 12 MPs, resigned today,” the MDP said on Sunday.
The MDP called on the police to release the MPs immediately, and to stop following unlawful orders and stop obstructing the lawful mandate of Parliamentarians.
The situation in Maldives promoted its neighbours, including India and Sri Lanka to call for a peaceful end to the crisis.
Maldives is a popular tourist destination but the political crisis is not expected to have any impact on tourism as the political crisis in centered in the capital while tourists mostly travel to islands outside the capital.
Easwaran Rutnam, Research Fellow at Asia Pacific Institute. He is the Sri Lankan reporter for Asia Pacific Daily.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
