The lawmakers’ protest came a day after exiled opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed announced a unity pact with the president’s powerful half-brother—the former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Photo: AFPMale: Security forces physically ejected protesting members of Parliament (MPs) from the Maldives parliament on Monday in chaotic scenes during a failed opposition attempt to impeach the speaker and destabilise the president ahead of elections next year. “Government brings in military to occupy the parliament chamber to obstruct and rig the no confidence vote on the Speaker,” Nasheed tweeted during the chaos in parliament. Yesterday, he appealed to members of his Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) to break ranks with the president and vote with the opposition to remove the speaker, Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed. The Maldives constitution also bars Nasheed from being a candidate because of his criminal conviction.

Source: Mint March 27, 2017 15:22 UTC