This is not the first time a Maldivian president has declared emergency in the nation neither an arrest of Supreme Court's Chief Justice.
The beautiful South Asian island country Maldives, mainly known as the holiday destination for the enchanted beaches and exquisite resorts, has hit the global headlines due to its political crisis. Before you think what’s wrong in Male, you must know that it is not the first time that a political upheaval has rocked the island nation.
Maldives has had fair amount of political crisis spurred with assassination plot and coup against the governments.
The political crisis deepened in the country after defying the Supreme Court's order to free jailed opposition leaders, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen on Monday declared a state of emergency for 15 days. Hours later, security forces broke into the Supreme Court to arrest two judges including the Chief Justice.
However, this is not the first time a Maldives president has declared emergency in the nation neither an arrest of Supreme Court's Chief Justice.
It all started when ex-President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled Maldives for 30 years, witnessed coup attempts during 1980-1988. The third attempt coup d'etat in 1988 succeeded as many government offices came under attack and forced President Gayoom to flee from house to house. The Indian Army had to intervene in the matter and deployed around 1,600 troops in the disturbed land and restored government's rule within hours. In 2008, President Gayoom survived an assassination attempt after a 15-year-old boy scout Mohamed Jaisham saved the president by wrestling the knife from the hands of the would-be killer.
That same year in August, President Gayoom gave approval for the new Constitution paving democracy in the country as presidential elections of multi-party was held for the first time.
In October 2008, the Opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed defeated the incumbent autocratic ruler Gayoom as supporters marched the streets waving flags and calling it the 'dawn of democracy'.
But three years after Nasheed's rule, in a dramatic fall from power, the leader once described as the 'harbinger of change' was forced to step down in a move that his party called it a "coup against a constitutionally-elected government" in 2012.
Nasheed, who attracted worldwide attention for his seriousness on the climate change issue holding campaigns and even holding an underwater cabinet meeting for the cause, lost his footing as several crisis hit the nation.
The one that shook the nation was the row over the arrest of Supreme Court's Chief Justice after he ordered the release of a government critic in 2012. He drew maximum amount of criticism for the move and was charged with illegally ordering the chief justice's arrest.
Nasheed said he was forced at gunpoint by the police officers and military in a coup to resign. Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan then took over the reigns as President, who Nasheed accused for being a part of an elaborative plan to ouster him.
In 2013, presidential candidate for the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Abdulla Yameen, the half brother of former President Gayoom, defeated Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader and former president Nasheed under controversial circumstances. The first round of presidential elections where Nasheed recieved 45.5% votes and Yameen received 25.35% votes was annulled by the Supreme Court citing irregularities. The second round of presidential election resulted in Yameen's win with 51.39% votes as compared to Nasheed's 48.61% votes. This called for widespread protest by Nasheed's supporters saying the election was rigged.
In 2015, former president Nasheed was arrested and jailed for 13 years on terrorism charges.
In September that same year, President Yameen escapes an explosion on his speedboat where his wife was injured and 2 others. Vice-President Ahmed Adeeb was then arrested on President Yameen's order for his alleged involvement in president's assassination attempt and linked him to the boat blast.
President Yameen on November declared a state of emergency for 30 days and after much pressure from international circles he lifts the emergency.
In 2016, two major developments took place, the former Vice President Adeeb was jailed for 15-years in prison for plotting to assassinate President Yameen and the Supreme Court uplifted the 13-year jail sentence to Nasheed who escaped to Britain and was living in exile. An arrest warrant was also issued to the former president after he failed to return to the nation.
In a surprise turn of events, the Supreme Court ordered the immediate release of exiled leader Nasheed and eight others claiming that their trials were in violation of the constitution and international law on February 1 this year.
The issue quickly snowballed into a political catastrophe with President Yameen calling for a 15-day emergency in the state as his allies alleged that the top court was trying to bring down the government. Shortly after state emergency was declared, former president was also arrested along with two judges including the Chief Justice.
The opposition has called for the help of international community and have urged them to pressurise the president to follow court's order and restore peace and 'democracy' in the state.
However, India has been keeping a close watch on the situation and has advised its citizens to "defer all non-essential travels to Male and other atolls until further notice."
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