Political turmoil paralyzing the Maldives deepened Monday after the attorney-general resigned in frustration over parliament's refusal to appoint a new Supreme Court.
In an attempt to prevent the country from spiraling into judicial chaos, President Mohammed Nasheed issued a decree Sunday - the day an interim court was to have been disbanded - allowing the Supreme Court to continue administrative functions until the crisis is resolved.
Political disorder has engulfed the nation of 1,192 low-lying coral islands after the 13-member Cabinet resigned en masse in June, accusing the opposition of undermining Nasheed's powers by defeating all motions put before it. The Cabinet was reappointed last month.
Nasheed took power in the country's first democratic elections two years ago, after being repeatedly jailed under the 30-year rule of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, whom he defeated in the 2008 poll.
The recent power struggle showcases the difficult transition to democracy for the country of 350,000 in the Indian Ocean archipelago, best known as a tourist paradise.
Attorney-General Husnu Suood resigned Sunday, claiming his position was untenable in the "constitutional void" triggered by parliament's failure to enact necessary legislation, Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed told The Associated Press by telephone from the capital Male on Monday.
The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party has only 32 seats in the country's 77-member parliament. The opposition coalition, led by the Dhivehi Raithunge Party, has 36 seats, with the rest independents.
The president's decree appoints four legal practitioners to continue the day-to-day administrative functions of the Supreme Court, the president's Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said in a statement.
Zuhair said Nasheed had two options: allow the country to have no Supreme Court at all, or issue a decree so administrative functions of the Supreme Court could continue.
"The President chose the latter option," Zuhair said.
Source: http://www.cbsnews.com
Showing posts with label Supreme Court. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Supreme Court. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Maldives to appoint interim supreme court: minister
The Maldivian president will set up an interim supreme court as the opposition-controlled parliament blocked the appointment of new judges, the foreign minister said Saturday.
President Mohamed Nasheed's move would ensure the administration of justice even after the two-year term of the current supreme court expires at midnight Saturday, minister Ahmed Shaheed said.
"The parliament has failed to approve a new supreme court and that means we would be without a judiciary from Sunday, but the president can't allow that to happen," Shaheed told AFP by telephone from the capital island Male.
"You can't run the country without a judicial system. That is why the president is making an interim arrangement."
Prominent citizens will be included in the interim panel which will function until the parliament confirms the new judges in line with the 2008 constitution, he said. There was no immediate reaction from the opposition.
The luxury holiday paradise of Maldives embraced Western-style multi-party democracy in 2008 amid high hopes for reforms, but the country's parliament and president are from rival parties and are at loggerheads.
Nasheed's cabinet resigned en masse on June 29 saying it could not carry out its work because parliament was blocking their work.
Since then, Nasheed has reappointed the ministers but the parliament is refusing to ratify them as well as his nominee to head the supreme court in the archipelago of 330,000 Sunni Muslims.
The current political crisis in the Maldives goes back to the 2009 parliamentary election when the People's Party (DRP) led by former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom won a majority.
Although it gained control of the legislature, the DRP fell short of a two-thirds majority needed to impeach the president. At the same time, Nasheed cannot dismiss the assembly until it completes its full five-year term
Source: AFP
President Mohamed Nasheed's move would ensure the administration of justice even after the two-year term of the current supreme court expires at midnight Saturday, minister Ahmed Shaheed said.
"The parliament has failed to approve a new supreme court and that means we would be without a judiciary from Sunday, but the president can't allow that to happen," Shaheed told AFP by telephone from the capital island Male.
"You can't run the country without a judicial system. That is why the president is making an interim arrangement."
Prominent citizens will be included in the interim panel which will function until the parliament confirms the new judges in line with the 2008 constitution, he said. There was no immediate reaction from the opposition.
The luxury holiday paradise of Maldives embraced Western-style multi-party democracy in 2008 amid high hopes for reforms, but the country's parliament and president are from rival parties and are at loggerheads.
Nasheed's cabinet resigned en masse on June 29 saying it could not carry out its work because parliament was blocking their work.
Since then, Nasheed has reappointed the ministers but the parliament is refusing to ratify them as well as his nominee to head the supreme court in the archipelago of 330,000 Sunni Muslims.
The current political crisis in the Maldives goes back to the 2009 parliamentary election when the People's Party (DRP) led by former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom won a majority.
Although it gained control of the legislature, the DRP fell short of a two-thirds majority needed to impeach the president. At the same time, Nasheed cannot dismiss the assembly until it completes its full five-year term
Source: AFP
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