Parliament cancelled after demonstrations by MDP MPs, protesters
01 Mar 2012, 2:20 PM
Parliament was cancelled after Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs blocked Speaker Abdulla Shahid from entering the chamber, in protest against an address that was to be given by President Dr Mohamed Hassan Waheed.
At a press conference on Wednesday evening, Shahid said he was unable enter the chamber despite several attempts, and on one occasion had fallen and injured himself. Given the current political tensions, Shahid said he was unable to guarantee the safety of members and had decided to proceed through negotiation, rather than force.
Shahid further condemned MDP’s disruption and said it was unhealthy given the current political climate.
With the exception of the streets around parliament, which were locked down by police and military officers, the streets of Male’ were eerily quiet this morning.
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