A day after the Indian Ambassador in Male, Akhilesh Mishra, met the Maldives Foreign Secretary Ahmed Sareer, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said India would wait for a few more days to see if the Emergency is lifted after the time stipulated by President Abdulla Yameen.
Yameen on February 5 had declared Emergency for a period of 15 days. It should be thus lifted by February 20 unless the Parliament extends it further.
Mishra on Thursday conveyed to Sareer that India would like the political crisis in Maldives to end at the earliest, with all political prisoners released and the order of the Supreme Court followed in letter and spirit. The envoy also expressed concerns over the health of the political detainees including the two Supreme Court judges.
It is learnt that during the meeting Sareer conveyed that the present crisis should be over by the next five days. Sareer also informed Mishra that political prisoners are in good health and have access to medical care. Sareer clarified that contrary to media reports, Maldives has not sought any military assistance from China. Maldives ambassador to India Ahmed Mohamed said that the Emergency will be lifted as scheduled, once the judicial deadlock is resolved.
Meanwhile, the united opposition in Maldives urged the United Nations Secretary General to intervene and mediate a dialogue between the Yameen government and the opposition. A group of UN human rights experts too has warned that the detention of the two Supreme Court judges in the Maldives is an attack on the independence of the judiciary and undermines the court's ability to work freely and effectively.
"The independence of the judiciary is under serious threat, along with the principle of separation of powers between the State and the courts…It is clear that the rule of law in the Maldives is now under siege. We call on the government to refrain from any threats or interference that may hamper the court's independence as the supreme guardian of the country's constitution and legislation," the experts said in a joint statement early this week.