Written By: Hussain Ali
The United States have stated that the judiciary of the Maldives faces serious obstacles, despite the progress the country has made as a democracy.
A statement released by the American Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Ms Nisha Desai Biswal revealed that Maldives had become an exemplary democracy to other countries, keeping in mind the progress the country had made as a democracy. It added that Maldives had indeed proved that Muslim countries could progress as a democracy within the last few years.
Even though the progress of the democracy was praised, the statement noted issues such as threats received by parliamentarians and the challenges faced by the judiciary of the country.
US has pledged to provide all the assistance the country requires to progress as a democracy.
The statement comes during a time when the Maldivian parliament passed to remove two judges from the Supreme Court bench. Following the ratification of the Bill, then Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz and Justice Muthasim Adnan has been removed from the bench, and Justice Abdulla Saeed had been appointed as the Chief Justice.
A statement was also released by the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA), and Commonwealth Magistrate and Judges Association (CMJA). The statement stated that the decision to dismiss two Supreme Court judges by the parliament will threaten the integrity of the three powers of government.
The statement by Ms Nisha also praised the works of the government during the recent Male' Water Crisis. It also stressed on the need for contingency plans, if such situations arise in the future.
Ms Nisha's trip to the Maldives also saw her visiting major political figures of the country.