The ousted President of the Maldives, credited with bringing democracy to the Indian Ocean island resort, said on Wednesday he was forced out of power at gunpoint, prompting clashes between police and angry supporters.
Police tried to break up the protests with tear gas and baton charges as former President Mohamed Nasheed’s party said he too was “beaten” by police. The Maldives on Tuesday installed vice-president Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik as President who promptly denied being part of any coup against Mr Nasheed after weeks of Opposition protests and a police mutiny.
“Yes, I was forced to resign at gunpoint,” Mr Nasheed told reporters after his party meeting. “There were guns all around me and they told me they wouldn’t hesitate to use them if I didn’t resign.” He did not elaborate on who held him at gunpoint, but one of his aides told Reuters he had been hustled out by the military. “I call on the Chief Justice to look into the matter of who was behind this coup. We will try our best to bring back the lawful government,” he said.
Supporters of Mr Nasheed rioted through the streets and seized some police stations Wednesday to demand his reinstatement as the new President, Hassan, appealed for an end to the political turmoil.
Late Wednesday evening, Nasheed supporters seized some small police stations but larger ones stayed under official control, police spokesman Amhed Shyam said. Residents told local reporters that as many as 10 police stations on small islands may have been seized.
Speaking to about 2,000 wildly cheering members of his Maldivian Democratic Party in Male, he called for Hassan’s immediate resignation and demanded the Chief Justice investigate those he said were responsible for his ouster. He then led an anti-government demo-nstration.