MALE — The president of the
Maldives declared a state of emergency on Wednesday sharply curtailing
key rights of citizens for 30 days following an explosion on his
speedboat and the discoveries of a homemade bomb near his residence and a
weapons cache.
Attorney General Mohamed Anil said President Yameen Abdul Gayoom made the decision to safeguard public safety.
“The military and police found weapons and an explosive
from two locations in their operations. Because these would be a threat
to the public and the nation, the National Security Council has advised
to take immediate steps to protect the people of Maldives,” Anil said.
Under the state of emergency, the military and police are
able to enter and search homes without warrants and can make arrests
virtually at will. Citizens are forbidden to hold protests or labor
strikes or to travel between the country’s many islands.
The declaration effectively thwarts plans by the main
opposition Maldivian Democratic Party to hold a mass rally on Friday
demanding the release of its jailed leader, former President Mohamed
Nasheed. It is customary for people to travel from outer islands to
participate in protests in the capital, Male.
Maldives has been tense since a Sept. 28 blast on the
president’s speedboat and a subsequent series of arrests of people,
including Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, on suspicion of involvement in the
explosion.
Gayoom was unhurt by the blast, which the government
called an assassination attempt. The US FBI, which investigated the
blast, said it found no evidence that it was caused by a bomb.
The military said Monday it found a homemade bomb in a
parked vehicle close to the president’s official residence. Days
earlier, an arms cache was found on an island being developed as a
tourist resort.
Maldives, best known for luxury island resorts and
beaches, has had a difficult transition to democracy since holding its
first multiparty election in 2008, which ended 30 years of autocratic
rule by Gayoom’s half-brother.
Nasheed, the country’s first democratically elected
leader, resigned following public protests against his decision to order
the arrest of a top judge in 2012.
In 2013, Gayoom defeated Nasheed in a disputed election in
which the Supreme Court annulled the results of the first round, which
Nasheed was leading, and delayed a revote until Gayoom was able to
negotiate a winning coalition with other parties.
Nasheed is now serving a 13-year prison sentence under a
terrorism law for his role in arresting the judge. His trial was widely
criticized for its apparent lack of due process. — AP
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