The Maldives Cabinet has resigned en masse over a conflict between the president and the country's parliament, a government official said.
Government spokesman Mohamed Zuhair said all 13 members of the Cabinet resigned Tuesday after accusing the parliament, where the opposition has a majority, of trying to undermine President Mohamed Nasheed's powers by defeating all his motions put before it.
“Consistently they have been defeating every government proposal using their majority thoughtlessly,” Mr. Zuhair said.
He said among the moves the opposition has blocked were urgent tax reforms that the government, led by Mr. Nasheed, has been unable to pass for more than 18 months.
Mr. Zuhair said corruption charges have also been levelled against some members of the opposition and a key lawmaker has been arrested by police over corruption allegations.
The lawmaker arrested Tuesday, Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom, is a brother of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who ruled the country for 30 years before being unseated by Mr. Nasheed in the country's first-ever democratic election in 2008.
The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party has only 32 seats in the country's 77-member Parliament. The opposition coalition led by Dhivehi Raithunge Party has 36 seats. Others are independent members.
Umar Naseer, the DRP deputy leader, denied blocking governance.
“The real fact is that the government has failed to deliver any tangible results,” Mr. Naseer said, claiming that the Cabinet resigned as it sensed it was losing public support.
The Maldives' executive president and the Parliament are elected separately.
