Maldives snubs India, extends state of emergency

In what is being seen as a jolt and fresh snub to India, the state of Emergency was on Monday extended by 30 days in Maldives after a key parliamentary committee reportedly approved President Abdulla Yameen's request, allowing him to reinforce his power in the picturesque tiny Indian Ocean archipelago nation. The extension of the Emergency was reported by news agencies from Male and Colombo, citing media reports.

Continuing his defiance of India, President Yameen earlier on Monday had approached his Parliament seeking to extend the emergency in his nation by 30 days on the grounds that "the threat to national security has not diminished, and the Constitutional crisis has not been resolved".

The Maldivian President had earlier refused to obey a Supreme Court order and had imposed emergency in his tiny archipelago nation for 15 days on February 5. India had wanted President Yameen to lift the emergency but the advice seems to have been ignored yet again. New Delhi had earlier rejected a request for visit of a Special Envoy to New Delhi. The main backer of President Yameen is China, one of three countries to which he had sent a special envoy recently.

According to news agencies that cited a media report, during an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Committee of the People's Majlis, approval was given to the Decree for State of Emergency submitted to the People's Majlis ( Parliament) by President Yameen. Deputy Speaker of People's Majlis, MP Moosa Manik reportedly confirmed the decree was approved by the Committee during its meeting held behind closed doors.