Maldives emergency to be lifted 'soon'

Ahmed Abdullah, special envoy of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who held talks with Sri Lankan leaders here, would not specify when the emergency law, imposed August 13 in a crackdown on pro-democracy supporters, would be lifted.

Abdullah, also minister of health in the archipelago nation of 330,000 Sunni Muslims, one of Asia's top tourist destinations, said 85 of 185 people detained following the rallies two weeks ago had been freed.

However, he told reporters seven parliamentarians remained in detention without charge. He could not say for how long they would be held under the emergency law which gives Gayoom supreme power.

"No one has been charged yet," he said before leaving for India and Pakistan on a similar mission to brief neighbouring nations about the situation.

"We're still going through with the investigations and I'm sure we will conclude them very soon. The emergency will also be lifted very soon, but I can't give a time-frame yet."

Abdullah said the Colombo-based Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) could not be recognised by Maldivian authorities as the law did not allow a multi-party system.

"There is no need for rapprochement," Abdullah said. "They (MDP members) had the opportunity to make their views known about the democratic reforms proposed by the president."

He said a "mild form of curfew" was still in effect in the capital island, Male, with 80,000 residents asked to remain indoors from midnight to 4:30 am.

The detainees include former secretary general of the seven-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Ibrahim Zaki.