Thursday 19 / June / 2025
Male: Maldives State Health Minister Dunya Maumoon has resigned, she said in a letter on Tuesday, grieved by the arrest of her father, the island nation's longest-serving leader, after President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency.
The Maldives' top court last week validated a 30-day extension of the state of emergency sought by Yameen over what he has called a national security threat and constitutional crisis.
"Today, at this time of pain and crisis for both my family and my country, it is my sincere hope to see my father home at the earliest," said Dunya Maumoon, who becomes the second minister to resign from Yameen's ruling party since the crisis began on February 1.
"I therefore call upon the international community to support the Maldivian people to help us overcome this crisis and to build a stronger democratic system," she said in the letter reviewed by Reuters.
Her father, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, is Yameen's half-brother and ruled the country for 30 years until 2008.
He was arrested at his residence early this month, along with his son-in-law.
"He is not just my father, but the father of the nation, who has built this country and has earned the respect and love of the people," she added. After declaring the emergency, Yameen's administration arrested the chief justice, another Supreme Court judge and Gayoom on allegations of attempting to overthrow the government.
Earlier, Maldives police arrested at least another four opposition members under state of emergency laws for protesting against President Abdulla Yameen's government, the opposition said on Tuesday.
Opposition politicians defied a police order to stop protesting after 10:30 pm local time on Monday (1730 GMT) and continued to demand that Yameen implement a Supreme Court ruling that quashed convictions against nine opposition leaders and ordered the release of politicians and officials held in prison.
The Maldivian Democratic Party, the main opposition party, said on Twitter police had arrested Mohamed Ameeth and Abdulla Ahmed, two lawmakers who had defected from Yameen's party, and two more from other opposition parties late on Monday.
Independent television Raajje TV, which showed footage of police forcibly blocking protesters, said Abdulla Ahmed was arrested while giving a media interview about the protest.
Yameen's government has so far ignored international calls to lift the state of emergency, first declared on Febuary 5 for 15 days, and release opposition leaders from jail.
The Council of the European Union threatened the Maldives on Monday with "targeted measures" if the crisis did not improve.
"The Council condemns politically motivated arrests and calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners," the EU said in a statement. "The Council also condemns any interference with the work of the Supreme Court of the Maldives and actions taken against the judiciary and the judges," it said.
The Maldives foreign ministry said in a statement there was no legal mandate to implement the Supreme Court order, which also included reinstating 12 lawmakers stripped of their parliamentary seats by Yameen's party for defecting last year.
"The government will ensure that the state of emergency is lifted as soon as the threats posed to national security are addressed satisfactorily," the statement said.
Countries including the United States, Canada, and neighbouring India, along with the United Nations, have urged Yameen to lift the emergency.
Tour operators say hundreds of hotel bookings have been cancelled daily since the emergency was imposed, despite government assurances that all was normal in Indian Ocean resort islands far from the capital.
