Maldives leader loses majority

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen lost his majority in parliament after opposition lawmakers defected and launched a new attempt to unseat an ally accused of ignoring allegations of corruption, mismanagement and rights abuses, officials said.

An exiled former leader called on Yameen to resign yesterday after 10 lawmakers from the president's own party joined opposition lawmakers in launching an impeachment motion against his close ally, Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed

Nasheed

The 10 defections saw Yameen lose his 48-seat majority in the 85-seat parliament, with a four-party opposition coalition now holding 45 seats. The reason for the defections was not immediately known.

The opposition coalition, which includes the party of exiled former leader Mohamed Nasheed and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, said in a statement it backed public demands for reform "following widespread corruption, the politicisation of independent institutions, mismanagement of the economy, brutalising of citizens and encroachment of individual liberties".

Mohamed survived a bid to impeach him amid chaotic scenes in the Indian Ocean island nation's parliament in March and Yameen brushed aside the latest attempt.