Maldives crisis solved

^{Pic by Sudath Silva}

Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed on Wednesday reappointed his cabinet in a bid to end the power struggle between himself and parliament, an official said. The cabinet’s reappointment came amid a one-day state visit by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to mediate the crisis.

Nasheed swore in his 13-member cabinet in the seafront capital of Male, giving ministers the same portfolio they had before they resigned last Tuesday, a senior official in the president’s office said.

“The president said after the swearing-in ceremony that the cabinet had resigned for a valid reason,” the official, who declined to be named, told AFP by telephone from Male.

“The president said a minority of MPs were allegedly involved in buying votes in return for blocking legislation. Police investigation is still ongoing and cabinet can return to work,” the official said.

Under the Maldives’ system of government, the president chooses his cabinet and each nomination must be approved by parliament, which can later seek to remove a minister through a no-confidence vote.

The opposition-controlled parliament had planned to bring a no-confidence motion against the education minister but the cabinet resignation pre-empted the move.

The cabinet’s reappointment came as two key opposition lawmakers remained under two weeks’ house arrest, in terms of a high court order issued Friday.

MPs Abdulla Yamin and Qasim Ibrahim, leaders of small opposition parties, were arrested by police Tuesday shortly after a political crisis erupted when the cabinet resigned en masse.

The president’s office said police were still investigating them for allegedly trying to bribe independent MPs.

The cabinet’s reappointment came amid a one-day state visit by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss bilateral issues.

Nasheed was elected in October 2008 for a five-year term while the parliament was elected in May 2009, also for a five-year term.

^{source: afp}