The Government of Maldives has reiterated its firm commitment to work closely with the international community, including India, to address the concerns they might have. Government of India asserted that the extension of the State of Emergency by the Parliament was unconstitutional.
Responding to the public statements issued by the Government of India that ignore the facts and ground realities with regard to the ongoing political developments in the Maldives, Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the statements are a clear distortion of facts, which ignore the Constitution and Laws of the Maldives.
On February 5, the President declared the State of Emergency under the powers vested in him in Article 253 of the Constitution, pertaining to a Constitutional Crisis, and an imminent threat to national security, upon the advice of the National Security Council. The Supreme Court had cleared the validity of the Emergency in its ruling on February 21. In its decision to extend the State of Emergency on February 20, the Parliament provided relief by lifting some of the restrictions imposed on Constitutional Articles under the State of Emergency and by imposing the State of Emergency only upon individuals alleged to have carried out illegal activities and in the places they stayed.
The Parliament also in its sitting decided to refer the issue to the Supreme Court, for Advisory Opinion, under Article 95 of the Constitution, pertaining to which the Supreme Court has issued an Order to implement the State of Emergency, till the Court issues a verdict on the issue. Other than implementing the necessary measures stated in the Decree imposing the State of Emergency, it ensures no other restriction on the daily lives of the people and provides protection to the citizens living in the Maldives, to foreign workers and to those visiting the country.
The statement of the Foreign Ministry highlighted that there is no doubt that the Maldives is experiencing one of the most difficult periods in the history of the nation noting that it is therefore important that friends and partners in the international community, including India, refrain from any actions that could hinder resolving the situation facing the country.