New Maldives President vows to uphold rule of law
The newly appointed President of the Maldives Mohamed Waheed vowed to
uphold the rule of law on Tuesday in a statement issued hours after the
dramatic resignation of his predecessor, Mohamed Nasheed.
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Mohamed
Waheed |
Waheed, who was Nasheed’s Vice President, was swiftly sworn in as the
new Head of State following the resignation announcement.
In a public statement posted on the presidential website, he
indicated that Nasheed’s decision to step down was the direct result of
popular public pressure following three weeks of anti-government
protests.
“The nation witnessed difficult times in the recent past, but today
the Maldivian people have made a momentous decision,” Waheed said.
“Following that decision ... at any cost, the rule of law must be
upheld,” he added.
He made no direct mention of the mutiny in police ranks Tuesday which
saw officers side with the protesters and was seen as a major factor in
forcing Nasheed’s resignation.
However, with Nasheed’s aides and supporters alleging that the
president had been ousted in what amounted to a coup, Waheed gave
assurances that “no unlawful order” would be issued to the police or the
military.
Stressing the need for political differences to be put aside, Waheed
also warned that “no law must be violated in any revenge against the
past political leaders,” the statement said.
AFP
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