Male: Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen on Monday delivered the annual presidential address amid vociferous protests from opposition MPs demanding the release of the country's former leader Mohammed Nasheed who has been detained on terrorism charges.
Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and Jumhooree Party (JP) MPs gathered in front of the secretariat desk at the 'People's Majlis' and clamoured for the release of former President Nasheed, carrying placards that read, 'Free President Nasheed' and posters depicting police manhandling and dragging the opposition leader into court.
Nasheed is still in police custody pending the outcome of a trial on charges of terrorism. In response to the opposition parties' protests, ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and coalition partner Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) MPs held up placards that read 'Nasheed deserves to be in prison', 'Nasheed supports terrorism', 'Free Maldivians from Nasheed', and 'MDP must learn democracy'.
Yameen's second presidential address comes amidst a political crisis sparked by the arrests of former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim and former President Nasheed.
The opposition MDP-JP alliance had organised a massive protest march last week calling for their release. Confrontations and verbal sparring between pro-government and opposition MPs occurred inside the chamber with some PPM MPs snatching posters from MDP MPs, Minivan News reported.
After concluding the address, President Yameen gave two thumbs up to PPM MPs and made a thumbs down gesture towards opposition MPs. "Today we saw (opposition MPs) attempting to obstruct the president's from fulfilling his responsibility under Article 84 of (the constitution)," President's Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali tweeted.
A crowd of opposition supporters had also gathered behind police barricades at a short distance from the parliament building. In his address, President Yamin said that the Maldives' reputation had 'sparkled' in the international community last year. He said 2015 will be a year during which the government fulfils all its pledges to its people.
India has voiced concern over the "arrest and manhandling" of the former president and asked all those involved to calm the situation. Nasheed took refuge at the Indian High Commission in Male to avoid being arrested in connection with the same case in February 2013. He became the country's first democratically elected leader in 2008.
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