Maldives' united opposition lawmakers on Wednesday vowed to attend the first sitting of parliament later where embattled president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom would deliver the presidential address to officially open the parliament for the year.
The first sitting of parliament for this year, is due to commence at 9pm on Wednesday at the main convention centre 'Dharubaaruge' in the capital Male.
The island nation has been embroiled in fresh political turmoil after the Supreme Court on February 1 ordered the immediate release of jailed political leaders including self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed.
President Yameen had declared a 15 day state of emergency after his last ditch attempt to convince the top court to revoke the order failed as the apex court rejected the government's 'legal and judicial' concerns over the order.
Since emergency state was declared police have made a series of high profile arrests including Gayoom, three lawmakers, chief justice Abdulla Saeed, top court judge Ali Hameed and the chief judicial administrator.
Less than a day after the arrest of the two judges, the remaining three judges rescinded its ruling to release the political leaders referring to the concerns raised by president Yameen in the letters he had sent to the chief justice hours before state of emergency was declared.
The first sitting for 2018 scheduled for February 5 due to be addressed by president Yameen was cancelled indefinitely following the turmoil.
However, two extraordinary sittings has since been held to push through an extension of the state of emergency which the parliament contentiously voted to do after the opposition lawmakers boycotted the sitting.
Before the first extraordinary sitting on Monday, top court had ordered the relevant institutions to hold off on the reinstatement of a dozen opposition lawmakers.
The Supreme Court on February 1 had also annulled its anti-defection ruling and ordered the country's electoral watchdog to re-instate the dozen rebel government lawmakers disqualified over the ruling. The Supreme Court had 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.
One of the 12 MPs now awaiting their fate, Thimarafushi MP Mohamed Musthafa said the the opposition lawmakers who would be allowed into the opening sitting would attend.
