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WORLD NEWS Saturday 3 February 2018

Exiled ex-Maldives

leader will seek the

presidency again

By MOHAMED SHARUHAAN Nasheed also called for
and JAYAMPATHY PALI- reforms in the country’s se-
PANE curity services, telling the
Associated Press AP that “a small element
MALE, Maldives (AP) — The within the military and po-
exiled former president of lice want to prop up the
the Maldives said Friday dictatorship” of Yameen.
that he will mount a fresh Thursday night’s court ruling
challenge for the presiden- ordered the release and re-
cy this year after his convic- trial of politicians opposed
tion for abducting a judge to Gayoom , saying their
was overturned by the guilty verdicts had been
country’s supreme court. influenced by politic. It was
Government opponents in not immediately clear how
the archipelago nation’s retrials would affect the
capital mounted a sec- upcoming elections, but
ond straight night of street the opposition alliance de-
protests demanding the clared that the ruling “ef- Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed smiles during an interview with Associated Press in
release of political prison- fectively ends President Ya- Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018.
ers whose convictions were meen’s authoritarian rule.” Associated Press
also overturned. Protesters late Friday and raised government con- violence across the coun- sters democracy and rule
President Yameen Abdul early Saturday converged cerns about the ruling with try.” It called on the United of law for all Maldivians,”
Gayoom had been set to on a prison in the capital the court’s chief justice be- Nations, European Union he wrote on Twitter.
run for re-election this year of Male where the politi- cause the imprisoned poli- and neighboring coun- Human rights group Am-
virtually unopposed, with cians are being held, de- ticians were convicted of tries to impress upon the nesty International said the
all of his opponents either manding their immediate offenses including terrorism, government and security court decision should be a
jailed or exiled. release, but police forced corruption, embezzlement services to respect the Su- turning point for the nation.
But ex-President Moham- them to leave. and treason, said a gov- preme Court ruling. The group’s South Asia di-
med Nasheed told The As- They then moved to anoth- ernment statement issued “The government of Mal- rector, Biraj Patnaik, said
sociated Press in an inter- er location for a sit-in pro- Friday. dives immediately resort- the ruling must be imple-
view that the court’s ruling test that was also broken “The attorney general stat- ed to using undue force mented and the govern-
means he will be eligible up. Journalists were kept ed that the administration against demonstrators cel- ment’s “witch-hunt against
to challenge Yameen, away from both events by has highlighted concerns ebrating the apex court’s the political opposition and
who has rolled back many police. over the consequences verdict. Opposition sup- other critics” must end.
democratic reforms since The demonstrations that may be presented in porters were met with tear He said retrials of the op-
coming to power five years marked the second night the immediate implemen- gas, arrests and direct position leaders must be
ago. of protests in the Maldives. tation of the court’s ruling,” police violence while call- conducted in line with in-
“I can contest and I will After the court’s ruling was the statement said. ing on the government to ternational standards, and
contest and hopefully we mad public Thursday night, The prosecutor general is implement the ruling,” the authorities must restore ju-
will win it again,” Nasheed street celebrations by gov- examining cases to deter- opposition said in a state- dicial independence.
said from Sri Lanka’s capi- ernment opponents trans- mine how best to comply ment. Known for its luxury tourist
tal, Colombo. formed into three hours of with the ruling, the state- Atul Keshap, the U.S. am- resorts, the Maldives be-
Nasheed was jailed in 2015 clashes with police, who ment added. bassador to the Maldives, came a multiparty democ-
but received asylum in used tear gas and their ba- The country’s opposition al- welcomed the Supreme racy 10 years ago after de-
Britain later that year after tons to break up the gath- liance expressed fears that Court order. cades of autocratic rule by
traveling there on medical erings. the non-implementation of “I urge the government the current president’s half-
leave from prison. He has Maldives Attorney Gen- the court order “could es- and security services to re- brother, strongman Mau-
lived in exile ever since. eral Mohamed Anil said he calate to unrest and incite spect this ruling, which bol- moon Abdul Gayoom.q