Maldives prez says willing to hold early polls

MALE : Maldives President Yameen Abdul Gayoom said on Saturday that he was willing to hold an early presidential election, as unrest grew after a court ordered the release and retrial of political prisoners.

Speaking publicly for the first time since Thursday’s Supreme Court order to release politicians opposed to him, including exiled former President Mohammed Nasheed, Yameen said he was open to holding an election several months before his term ends next November.

The court had also reinstated 12 lawmakers who had been ousted for switching allegiance to the opposition. When those lawmakers return, Yameen’s Progressive Party of the Maldives will lose its majority in the 85-member parliament, which can result in the legislative body functioning as a rival power to the president.

Yameen said that he did not expect the court ruling, but that all relevant authorities of the state need to do “a lot of work to see how to implement it.”

“We are working on making sure we can respect the Supreme Court order in a way that doesn’t cause any difficulties to the people,” he said at a rally organised by his party.

Earlier on Saturday, Yameen fired a national police chief for the second time since the court order. Yameen’s office said he dismissed Ahmed Saudhee and appointed deputy police commissioner Abdulla Nawaz to act as interim police chief. No reason was given for the dismissal.

JOINT OPPOSITION SEEKS INDIA’S HELP

Ahmed Mahloof, a Member of Parliament and the spokesperson of the joint opposition said he wished India and other countries would put more diplomatic pressure as the people of Maldives are suffering due to the political uncertainty in the country.

He said the growing influence of China in the island nation is adding to their woes.

Abdulla Riyaz, a former police commissioner who was forced to resign by President Yameen in 2013, said, “We have asked India, the United Nations and the United States for support. Else, the people will come to the streets and it will be escalated to humanitarian crisis.”

“Our friends from neighbouring countries should engage to maintain the rule of law”.