Maldives president vows 'peace and order'

MALE, Maldives - New Maldives President Mohamed Waheed pledged on Tuesday to restore "peace and order" as international pressure mounted on him to ease tensions in the island after his predecessor was ousted.

President Mohamed Waheed's office said he assured a visiting European delegation that he would form a "fully inclusive" cabinet, including members of former president's Mohamed Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party.

"The president said that his key priority was to restore the peace and order in the country," his office said in a statement. "He would offer appropriate representation (in cabinet) to all political parties, including the MDP."

The EU delegation comprising Colombo-based ambassadors, including French Ambassador Christine Robichon, will meet with Maldivian political leaders, including Nasheed to assess the political crisis.

Nasheed says he was ousted in a military-backed coup following weeks of opposition protests and has demanded fresh presidential elections. On Sunday, he rejected a US call for compromise and the formation of a unity government.

Last-ditch attempt

In an attempt to oust the newly formed government of the Maldives, the country's former president prepared a petition with public signatures to be sent to the parliament.

Nasheed, the Maldives' first democratically-elected president who claimed he was forced to resign at gun point during the military-backed coup, collected public signatures to petition the parliament, seeking an early election. Nearly 2,000 supporters of Nasheed gathered at a beach park as part of continuous demonstrations against the government.

Referring to the alleged violence faced by Nasheed's supporters following the torching of police stations and court houses, the petition stated: "We want to get out of this fear and we urge members of parliament not to accept this government." "We want a fair election as early as possible."

Police statement

Authorities in the Maldives have asked Nasheed to make a police statement on his controversial order to the military to arrest a top judge, a move that ended in his ouster from power last week.

Police spokesman Ahmed Shyam said on Tuesday that police have asked Nasheed to chose a place and time for the statement. But he has refused to comply.

A court last week issued an arrest warrant for Nasheed in the same case, but the police have not executed it.

Nasheed's party officials could not be contacted immediately for comment.

Diplomatic sources said the EU is keen to de-escalate tensions and peacefully resolve the conflict.

Waheed has already agreed to a Commonwealth probe into the dramatic fall of Nasheed, who came to power in 2008.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco wrapped up a visit on Monday saying a peaceful solution is needed to end the crisis that sparked violence in the sun-drenched archipelago normally known for its upmarket tourism.

"I call upon all parties to ensure that no incitements to violence and acts of violence occur," Fernandez-Taranco told reporters. "The Maldives cannot afford a descent into violence and protracted instability that would jeopardize the progress achieved by the country since 2008."

AFP-Xinhua-AP