The United States has said that the nation-wide state of emergency declared across the Maldives earlier this year ‘has weakened its democratic institutions’.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Alice Wells noted that US is closely monitoring the situation in Maldives adding that it ‘is a key country in the Indo-Pacific framework’.

"The Maldives is an important country given the volume of the trade and its flow to this area. We have welcomed India's close cooperation with the Maldives. The quality and character of our bilateral relations with the Maldives would be very much be shaped by what we see is happening during the election process,” she said.

Incumbent President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency on February 5, after refusing to implement the Supreme Court ruling issued four days prior. The ruling demanded the immediate release of nine high-profile prisoners including former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Instead of implementing the order, the president ordered the arrest of more opposition leaders including Maldives’ former long-standing President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, as well two of the five justices that signed the ruling.

The international community, including America and India, called for the implementation of the order, which President Yameen describes as ‘an attempted judicial coup’.

The international community continues to express concern over the current political situation in the Maldives, especially over the prospects of its presidential elections- slated for September 23- being free and fair.