Maldives' defence minister acting unlawfully, officers must not follow such orders: ex-president

Opposition leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed has accused Defence Minister Adam Shareef of acting against Maldivian laws and regulations and advised the military and police to refrain against following such orders.

The former president said this via twitter on Sunday, after the defence minister claimed that military and police are on high alert due to threats to national security, via a post on his Facebook page on Saturday night.

Nasheed's tweet, written in Dhivehi, translates to, "there are procedures to be followed in case of threats to national security. The minister is acting against the laws and regulations, as well as protocols of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). This is being done for political gain. I urge the military and police to refrain from following this".

The defence minister's post said that the military has been receiving reports of plots to create unrest in the country, adding that they are closely monitoring the situation together with the police. It further called on the public to share any information regarding such plans with both institutions.

In a tweet sent out hours after the minister's Facebook post, Nasheed accused incumbent President Abdulla Yameeen of spreading these rumours and added that he will do anything to disrupt election including intimidation, threats and bribery.

The announcement, especially made so unofficially, has led to speculation that the government is seeking to delay or cancel the presidential election slated for September 23.