Maldives parliament sacks chief prosecutor as power struggles deepen

Maldives on Tuesday lifted a state of emergency declared by the president earlier this month, saying security had improved after the authorities detained individuals and seized illegal weapons.

Lawmakers voted Vice President Ahmed Adeeb out of office using the regulations. Yameen escaped unhurt in the September 28 blast, but his wife and two aides were injured.

Over the weekend, the USA had expressed concerns that provisions in the Anti-Terrorism law passed in Maldives last week and the subsequent State of Emergency could restrict human rights and fundamental freedoms. Officials say investigations into the speedboat blast and discovery of the bomb were making progress.

The state of emergency was issued last week after an alleged assassination attack on President Abdulla Yameen.

The main opposition, the Maldivian Democratic Party, has said Mr. Gayoom seems to be willing to make up threats to national security to settle political scores.

During a press conference here, Attorney General Mohamed Anil confirmed that the nationwide emergency has been lifted with effect from 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday. "Yameen's increasingly erratic, paranoid and unsafe behavior is damaging the country and proves he is unfit to be president".

"The security forces are satisfied that they have found most of what was out there and the threat level has been minimised", Foreign Affairs Minister Dunya Maumoon told Reuters in a telephone interview after announcing the decree had been lifted. Washington had been critical of its imposition, and has called for an end to politically motivated prosecutions and detentions.

Maldives, best known for its luxury tourist resorts, has had a hard transition to democracy since holding its first multiparty election in 2008.