Maldivian President Seeks to Prolong Emergency State by 15 Days – Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - President of the Maldives Abdulla Yameen on Monday requested his parliament to extend the country's state of emergency by an additional 15 days, Avas Online media outlet reported.

According to the outlet, Yameen issued a decree to the parliament with the purpose of prolonging the state of emergency, after which the legislature announced that it would hold a three-hour discussion on the matter.

The current state of emergency, which has been in effect for 15 days and ends on Tuesday, was imposed by Yameen after the Maldives Supreme Court had ruled to overturn terrorism-related convictions against opposition politicians on February 1.

Twelve of the aforementioned lawmakers had their parliamentary membership restored, thereby giving the opposition coalition a majority in the legislature. That same day, heads of the prosecutor's office, police and armed forces said that they had information suggesting the Supreme Court may try to impeach President Yameen for not obeying its order to release jailed opposition members.

READ MORE: China's Main Priority is to Prevent Foreign Intervention in Maldives — Scholar

A week after the escalation of the crisis, exiled Maldives opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed had asked India and the US for help in removing the country's current President Abdulla Yameen over his "illegal" declaration of martial law.

The Maldivian crisis has been accompanied by a series of detentions, including that of another former Maldivian leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and the chief justice of the Supreme Court.