Ever since the tiny island nation scattered across the archipelago pushed for democracy, its politics have limped on with one crisis after another.
Maldives, an Indian Ocean archipelago of nearly 1,200 islands with a population of around just 400,000 people, was ruled for three decades by strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. He was finally voted from office in 2008 in the first democratic elections which was won by Mohamed Nasheed - a human rights activist turned politician.
Nasheed's victory was hailed as a new dawn for democracy, freedom and constitutional rights for the country. However, just over three years after the landmark victory, Nasheed was forced to step down amid street protests over the arbitrary arrest and detention of a sitting judge backed by a police mutiny.
Nasheed's deputy, Mohamed Waheed Hassan controversially took office and managed to hold on until the presidential elections in 2013 despite extreme pressure from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) after Nasheed claimed that he was overthrown by a coup.
In 2013, despite huge popularity, Nasheed narrowly lost a chaotic and marathon presidential election to the current president, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who is the half brother of the former strongman.
Gayooms clash to split ruling party
Yameen has since rolled back many of the democratic gains seen in the archipelago since 2008, with all of his potential political opponents either jailed or in exile. The government has also curbed freedom of speech and assembly, with heavy fines imposed on journalists and social media users found guilty of defamation. In 2015, in a trial widely criticized by international rights groups, Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison. He received asylum in Britain after traveling there on medical leave.
Yameen has exploited his majority in parliament and taboo 'influence' over the judiciary to suffocate and ultimately eliminate his rivals. One by one, the political playing field has been cleared to make way for his re-election next year. His elder half brother was unceremoniously deposed from the very party he founded which has ultimately marked the beginning of the end for Yameen.
In the face of oblivion, the opposition led by Gayoom and Nasheed along with Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim and religiously conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla inked a once unthinkable pact to form what they called a 'reform alliance'.
President Yameen loses parliament majority
The flailing opposition buoyed by the once unspeakable alliance injected a fresh impetus to its efforts against president Yameen and his government. The alliance targeted the easily swayed lawmakers, convincing as many as a dozen government MPs to back a motion to unseat the parliament speaker and his deputy.
In addition to Nasheed, the other top political leaders named in the order included Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim, religiously conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla, former defence minister Mohamed Nazim, former vice president Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor and deposed ruling party leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's lawmaker son Faris Maumoon.
The others named in the order included former prosecutor general Muhthaz Muhsin, magistrate Ahmed Nihan and Adheeb's brother in law Hamid Ismail.
Supreme Court turns tables
The Supreme Court late Thursday delivered the biggest blow for president Yameen's government after it ordered relevant authorities to release all political prisoners including Nasheed.
In its ruling on Thursday evening, the supreme court said the criminal proceedings against Nasheed and eight others had been “conducted based on political motivations; and in violation of the constitution and the international human rights covenants acceded to by the Maldives”. It ordered their immediate release pending a retrial.
In addition to Nasheed, the other top political leaders named in the order included Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim, religiously conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla, former defence minister Mohamed Nazim, former vice president Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor and deposed ruling party leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's lawmaker son Faris Maumoon.
The others named in the order included former prosecutor general Muhthaz Muhsin, magistrate Ahmed Nihan and Adheeb's brother in law Hamid Ismail.
Violent clashes broke out on Friday in the capital Male as protesters called for the politicians’ release. The government responded by firing the head of the national police, which had said it would enforce the court’s order.
The court also annulled a previous ruling against “floor-crossing” by members of parliament. This decision means the reinstatement of 12 members of the opposition, which will now enjoy a parliamentary majority.
The government thus far has refused to enforce the order insisting that it needs to validate the Supreme Court order. The Supreme Court however had published the court order on its website with the signatures of the five judge bench to 'validate' the order.
Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) deputy leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla on Friday insisted that president Yameen would not leave the country.
He also said the Supreme Court order does not mean the end of the government stressing that president Yameen has the backing and support of the ruling party.
The Fonadhoo lawmaker also reiterated that the government would always respect court rulings but did not say when or if the Supreme Court order would be enforced.
The ongoing standoff is headed towards major clashes between the security forces and the opposition supporters as Yameen refuses to uphold the court order.
