Nasheed party lawmakers allege threats, victimisation

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Tension gripped Maldives political scene on Monday with lawmakers of Mohamed Nasheed's party alleging being threatened with terrorism charges by the new regime, after hundreds of supporters of the ousted president laid siege to the parliament.

The MPs of the Maldivian Democratic Party said the new regime was threatening them in an effort to pressurise them.

"They have threatened that they will charge us all with terrorism charges," Maria Didi, MDP Member of Parliament and former Chairperson of the Party told reporters outside the People's Majlis (Maldivian Parliament) late last night.

After a lull of two days since violence broke out on Male's streets following Nasheed's resignation on last Tuesday, his supporters had laid siege to the street outside the Majlis shouting slogans against the current regime headed by President Mohammed Waheed Hassan.

Didi said if terrorism charges are registered against them, "we will get a huge sentence of more than 12 years so that they can keep us away in jail for such a long time".

Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, spokesperson of International Affairs of the MDP too alleged victimisation. "A number of our MPS have been arrested, have been physically hurt," he said.

The protesters had assembled outside the parliament on a day when the new President inducted seven members into his expanded cabinet, including the country's first woman Attorney General and an aide of former dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

About half a dozen protesters were detained and were later released. Gafoor, who is also an MP said: "We decide to meet inside the Majlis because we did not feel that any place outside the Majlis was safe. We feel threatened by the developments. We dont feel safe".