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Maldives opposition calls for Indian intervention as president imposes emergency rule
 [Al Ahram] Maldives President Abdulla Yameen's administration said on Tuesday it had put down a coup after declaring a state of emergency the day before and arresting two Supreme Court justices and opposition figures."We have managed to ensure the failure of the coup attempt by some people," Defence Minister Adam Shareef Umar said on state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe? While the government seemed in control on Tuesday, it was unclear whether the political crisis in the Indian Ocean island nation, best known as a luxury holiday destination, was over. On the same day, an exiled former president urged regional power India to send an envoy backed by its military to release Maldivian political prisoners. The Maldives plunged into crisis last week after the Supreme Court quashed terrorism convictions against nine leading opposition figures including the exiled, first democratically elected president, Mohammed Nasheed. Tensions came to a head when Yameen's government rejected the ruling and on Monday imposed an emergency and then in the early hours of Tuesday morning tossed in the calaboose Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! the chief justice and another judge of the court. In doing so, the government ignored calls from the United States and the international community to respect the court's verdict. Posted by: Fred 2018-02-07 |
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