Yameen seeks extension to state of emergency

male — Maldives President Abdulla Yameen on Monday sought parliamentary approval to extend a state of emergency for 15 days in the Indian Ocean archipelago as “the situation has not changed”, a top parliamentary official said.

Yameen imposed the emergency on February 5 for 15 days to annul a Supreme Court ruling that quashed convictions against nine opposition leaders and ordered his government to free those held in prison. The state of emergency was to end on Tuesday.

Deputy Parliamentary Secretary General Fathmath Niusha told the legislature Yameen wanted its vote to prolong the emergency.

The opposition responded that this would not be possible without a quorum of at least 43 MPs in the 85-member parliament. No opposition MPs showed up for Monday’s session, leaving only 39 present from the ruling party.

In its ruling late last month, the high court also ordered the reinstatement, on constitutional grounds, of 12 lawmakers stripped of their parliamentary seats by Yameen’s party for defecting last year. Without the 12 MPs, the government retains a majority in parliament.

Under the emergency, Yameen’s administration has arrested the chief justice, another Supreme Court judge and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on allegations of attempting to overthrow the government. Ruling and opposition party leaders clashed over whether parliament’s approval was required under the constitution. —