State of emergency declaration ‘politically motivated’: ex-UN chief Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan, the former secretary-general of the United Nations, has described Maldives’ declaration of a state of national emergency as being politically motivated and an abuse of power.

The Kofi Annan Foundation released a statement on Friday in accord with international concern over the ongoing political conflict in the Maldives.

“The international community must not stand idle” the foundation said.

The statement calls on the Maldivian government to enforce the Supreme Court’s initial ruling, which was heard with a full bench of judges, and condemned the targeted arrests of Supreme Court justices.

“I urge the government of the Maldives to restore the rule of law by complying with the Supreme Court’s initial unanimous rulings, to release all political prisoners and lift the state of emergency” it reads.

Annan, who is praised for having reformed the UN’s bureaucracy and earning the organization a Nobel Peace Prize, also said that the Maldives’ parliament and law enforcement have been undermined.

“I condemn the disrespect of the Supreme Court’s rulings, as well as the intimidation that has been visited on individual judges..the authority and independence of Parliament and the police force have also been subverted” the statement further reads.

It also highlights the importance of ‘strong independent institutions’ in ensuring that the presidential elections slated for later this year are free and fair.

Current UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also called on the Maldivian government to lift the state of emergency, and expressed concern over security forces entering the Supreme Court premises to apprehend justices.

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq had on Thursday briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Maldives, particularly the Human Rights Commissioner’s statement on the conflict curtailing constitutional rights.

"The suspension of several functions of the judiciary and Parliament, and the restrictions on a series of constitutional rights, create a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of the president” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said.

The governments of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, and China have expressed concern over the declaration of a state of emergency and have individually called on local parties to resolve the matter peacefully.

The Chinese government, in particular, has even told the United Nations that it is willing to mediate with parties in the country to ensure stability, in addition to having expressed disaffection towards the idea of foreign intervention in the Maldives.