According to sources Maldives President Abdulla Yameen had sought parliamentary approval to extend a state of emergency by 30 days, saying a threat to national security had not diminished and a constitutional crisis had not been resolved. Sources have stated that with opposition members boycotting the session, only 39 of 85 MPs were present, and the vote was cancelled and an "extraordinary sitting" scheduled for Tuesday.
Further tourists have been cancelling hundreds of hotel bookings every day since the emergency was imposed, tour operators say, despite government assurances that all is normal in the resort islands, far from the capital. Accordingly the parliament cancelled Monday's vote without giving a reason after the opposition boycott, which left only 39 ruling party MPs in the chamber. Moreover the opposition said the vote needed a quorum of at least 43 members.
Previously the Supreme Court this month ordered the
reinstatement of 12 lawmakers stripped of their parliamentary seats by Yameen's
party for defecting last year. With the 12 MPs absent, the government retains a
majority in parliament. Moreover China, India, the United States and Britain
have all issued warnings against travel to the Indian Ocean island chain, known
for its luxury hotels, scuba-diving resorts and tropical seas.
