Maldives military armed with shields and batons blocked off parliament as opposition lawmakers headed to the building in the capital Male.
Some opposition lawmakers had managed to enter the parliament after climbing over the wall. Despite lines of soldiers in-front of the parliament gates, lawmakers had been allowed to enter.
The united opposition lawmakers had headed to the parliament moments after its long serving secretary general Ahmed Mohamed suddenly announced his resignation.
He confirmed his resignation to AVAS but refused to comment the reasons behind his suddenn decision.
Ahmed Mohamed's resignation comes a day after the parliament had announced its decision to cancel its opening session slated for Monday citing security reasons.
The island nation has been plunged into fresh political turmoil after the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the immediate release of jailed political leaders including self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed.
The first sitting for 2018 was scheduled for Monday and due to be addressed by President Abdulla Yameen Abdulla Gayoom. It was cancelled indefinitely, parliament said in a message sent to lawmakers.
More than two days after the Supreme court ordered the immediate release of as many as nine political prisoners, government has thus far refused to comply.
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.
The court had also annulled its anti-defection ruling and ordered the country's electoral watchdog to re-instate the dozen government lawmakers disqualified over the ruling. The Supreme Court said the anti-defection ruling was issued as a temporary solution to the constitutional dispute case filed by the state but insisted that the relevant authorities have failed to bring to effect an anti-defection law specified in the ruling.
The reinstatement of the 12 lawmakers disqualified by the country's elections commission would mean that the united opposition would now have parliament majority which has the power to impeach the president.
After the court order, Ahmed Mohamed had told AVAS that there was nothing preventing the dozen lawmakers from attending parliament sittings following their reinstatement by the order of the Supreme Court.
