EU delegation arrives in Maldives amidst crisis

After expressing concern about the current situation in the Maldives since President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency late Monday, a special delegation from the European Union (EU) has arrived in Maldives.

The EU delegates had met the opposition and heard their concerns regarding the current developments in the country.

The team had also met with the leaders of the ruling party.

No further details regarding the meetings have been revealed yet.

Following the president’s unexpected move on Monday, there was a chorus of international ‘concerns’ aimed at the Maldivian government. Neighbouring India and Sri Lanka, and even the US, UK and Germany had called the government to immediately implement the Supreme Court ruling issued last Thursday, which freed some high-profile political prisoners, reinstated the 12 lawmakers who were unseated, and annulled its previous ruling on floor crossing.

The United Nation’s Human Rights Committee, EU and Amnesty International had also urged the government to uphold the apex court’s order.

With the consensus of three Supreme Court judges, however on Tuesday, the court took a U-turn on its landmark ruling and revoked its previous decision to release the political prisoners and bar the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) from investigating the top court judges.

President Yameen’s move to declare a 15-day state of emergency was not received well by the international community either. The declaration was followed by China and UK issuing travel advisories to the Maldives. A delegate from the EU had even called the president’s most recent decision “an attack on democracy.”

Since declaring a state of emergency, the government has arrested two Supreme Court judges and the Judicial Service Administrator after raiding the premises of the top court, and also detained former President and President Yameen’s half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, and his son-in-law early Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, the government insists that the state of emergency will not affect the lives of the locals, or the tourism industry in any way.