Maldives impeaches VP accused of plotting to kill president

President Abdulla Yameen declared the state of emergency on Wednesday, citing threats to national security after an explosive device was discovered near his official residence in the capital, Male, as well as stashes of weapons.

Yameen was unharmed in the blast, and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has said there is no evidence it was caused by a bomb.

The Maldives, a cluster of coral islands off the southern tip of India, relies heavily on tourism, which brings in roughly a million visitors a year from all over the world.

The president declared a 30-day state of emergency after the military said it found a bomb in a vehicle near the presidential palace earlier this week.

Vice President Ahmed Adeeb was among nine people arrested on suspicion of involvement in the boat explosion. It also says the government can temporarily suspend certain constitutional rights during the emergency, but may not restrict freedoms such as the rights of free expression, free press, and fair and transparent hearings. This move comes just two days before the opposition party is set to hold a protest.

“It looks like Yameen has lost control or is losing control”, the spokesman said, expressing concern that the state of emergency could be indefinite.

The president was not injured, but his wife and two aides suffered minor injuries. Abdulla Yameen of the Progressive Party was elected to the office of the President of Maldives in November 2013 as the 6 President.

The vice president’s arrest followed a series of sackings of government officials, which have fuelled political unrest and further damaged the Maldives’ image as an upmarket tourist destination.

Maldives parliament impeaches vice president accused of plotting to kill president.

However, the excuses of the Maldivian government for the Emergency did not impress worldwide human rights lobby which has been demanding fair trial of imprisoned Maldivian leaders like former president Mohamed Nasheed and Mr. Adeeb. Maldivian security forces will act under emergency powers and will be able to preemptively arrest opposition activists and protesters ahead of a major rally against the Yameen government later this week.

The Maldives continues to be rocked by political infighting with Vice President Ahmed Adeeb detained in connection with the alleged scheme to assassinate the president by blowing his boat up.