Maldives government hit by defections in Parliament

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Six ruling party lawmakers in Maldives have defected to work with the opposition in the party’s first open split and a major challenge to President Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s rule.

The government party is now split between factions led by Yameen and his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the autocratic former leader whose 30-year rule ended with the country’s first multiparty election in 2008.

Lawmaker Faris Maumoon said Friday that lawmakers supporting his father, Maumoon, withdrew support for Yameen in the 85-member Parliament. He said the defecting lawmakers will work with the opposition to address recent reversals in democracy under Yameen.

The number of lawmakers supporting Yameen has dropped to 47 from 53. The combined opposition has 38 seats and Faris said his faction expects more defections to enable it to reverse some recent laws enacted by the Yameen-controlled Parliament.

The government recently introduced a tough defamation law which includes hefty fines and jail terms for journalists and social media users. Other recent legislation restricts gatherings and protests.

A loss of Yameen’s majority in Parliament might not cause an immediate end to his rule because he is elected separately, but it could significantly reduce his influence over lawmaking and institutions like the judiciary, police and bureaucracy.

Maldives’ first democratically elected president, Mohamed Nasheed, resigned in 2012 amid public protests and a loss of support from the military and police over his order to arrest a top judge.

Yameen won a 2013 presidential election and has since been accused of reversing much of the country’s democratic gains.

At least four top political leaders have been jailed for lengthy periods after trials criticized for a lack of due process.