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Maldives president quits after protests
Tuesday February 07, 2012 03:24:25 PM,
IANS
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Colombo: Maldivian
President Mohamed Nasheed, elected only four years ago, resigned
Tuesday following overnight protests, authorities and media
reports said.
The Maldives High Commission here said Vice President Mohammad
Waheed was now the acting president.
The dramatic development followed overnight protests, sparked by
the arrest on Nasheed's order of a judge over allegations of
corruption.
The opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) told Sri Lanka's Sunday
Leader online edition that a majority of police and army were
backing the president's removal.
DQP spokesperson Mohamad Malech Jamal said there were now
celebrations in Male following Nasheed's exit.
He said the Male airport and the state broadcaster were under the
control of the police and army.
Maldivian journalists told Indian TV channels over telephone from
Male that there had been no coup and that the president had
submitted his resignation.
He was apparently brought to his office in a car from army
barracks.
Violence broke out Monday night as the army and police were
deployed to break up protesters, opposition figures said.
"About 800 police officers gathered at the Republic Square.
Several of them called for the president's resignation," Jamal was
quoted as saying.
The Maldivian government appealed for calm.
"The government of Maldives together with all state institutions
will work to ensure peace and stability in Male," a statement on
the Maldivian president's website said.
"Government calls to people to remain calm and support to
stabilize the situation," it added.
Nasheed took power in 2008, ending three decades of rule by
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. A leader of the Maldivian Democratic Party,
he visited India in 2009.
A tourist haven, the Maldives is made up of several atolls and has
a total land area of 298 sq km.
It has a population of about 400,000, most of them Sunni Muslims.
The main language is Dhivehi, a Sinhalese dialect.
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