Maldives parliament votes for extension of state of emergency by month

20 Feb, 2018 14:43 / Updated 7 years ago

The Maldives’ parliament on Tuesday approved the extension of the state of emergency by 30 days. The previous day, President Abdulla Yameen sought the extension, saying a threat to national security had not diminished and a constitutional crisis had not been resolved. The opposition, which boycotted the sitting, said the approval was illegal as it was against the constitution, Reuters reported. Yameen imposed a state of emergency on February 5 for 15 days. The move was aimed at annulling a Supreme Court ruling that quashed convictions against nine opposition leaders and ordered his government to free those held in prison. The emergency was to end on Tuesday.