Police on Monday blocked-off opposition lawmakers from heading to the parliament as the political crisis deepened in the archipelago.
Shortly after the parliament locked-up its gates and increased security around its premises, opposition lawmakers left the main opposition Jumhoory Party (JP) camp in Maafannu ward to the parliament.
However, riot police armed with shields had blocked off the lawmakers a few meters from the JP camp.
The now united opposition had wrested parliament control from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) to file a no-confidence motion against the speaker.
After the now opposition coalition in March had filed a second motion to unseat Maseeh, the government had engineered an amendment to the parliament rules of procedure raising the number of lawmaker signatures required to file a censure motion against the speaker and his deputy from 15 to 42.
The opposition had filed the third censure motion against Maseeh with 45 lawmakers which included ten lawmakers from the ruling party.
Parliament under its rules of procedure was obligated to table the motion on Monday but the government through a Supreme Court ruling disqualified several rebel lawmakers who had backed the opposition led move to unseat speaker Abdulla Maseeh, prompting the parliament to dismiss the motion.
Government had engineered the constitutional dispute case asking the Supreme Court to disqualify MPs who defect or violate party whip-lines and or are formally removed from their respective party.
Opposition lawmakers had however vowed to enter parliament and vote on the motion urging supporters to gather near the parliament in protest.
The parliament had beefed up security only allowing staff to enter after vigorous screening. An opposition lawmaker told Avas that the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) entrusted with parliament security had said all lawmakers had been banned from the parliament premises as "there was no scheduled sitting."
Hundreds of opposition protesters meanwhile had gathered near the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) office before they were pushed back by the police.