Maldives to charge dissidents ahead of reform talks

COLOMBO, Sunday (AFP) - The Maldives is to prosecute 10 anti-government activists ahead of key all-party talks on constitutional reform in the Indian Ocean archipelago, a government official said Sunday.

The members of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) are to be charged for their role in last Tuesday's street protests in the capital island Male, chief government spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef told AFP.

"The demonstration itself was a flop, but the attorney general is going to charge the 10 people for their unruly activities," Shareef said by telephone.

The MDP demonstration came ahead of a meeting the government has arranged between all political parties and a Commonwealth expert who has been asked to draft a new constitution for the nation of 300,000 Sunni Muslims.

Former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Musa Hitam will be in the Maldives from February 5 to consult with the new parties before writing the draft, Shareef said.

The dissident MDP insists its leader Mohamed Nasheed be released from house arrest before the reform talks begin.

Nasheed faces "terrorism" charges for organising anti-government protests after ending his self-imposed exile in Britain last year.

MDP deputy Ibrahim Zaki said their latest demonstration was peaceful and accused the government of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of trying to suppress opposition.

President Gayoom has ruled the Maldives since winning his first five-year term in 1978.

Currently, the president is elected by a 50-member parliament of whom eight are his own appointees. Others are elected directly by the people. In 2005 the government finally recognised political parties.