Male, Maldives (BBN)-The Maldives president has declared a 30-day state of emergency ahead of a planned anti-government rally.
The declaration by President Abdulla Yameen gives security forces sweeping powers to arrest suspects, reports BBC.
It comes two days before the planned protest by the country's main opposition, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
MDP leader Mohamed Nasheed was jailed in March after a widely criticised conviction under anti-terror laws.
"President Yameen has declared (a) state of emergency to ensure the safety and security of every citizen," his spokesman Muaz Ali tweeted.
The Maldives has been rocked by political infighting in recent weeks, with vice-president Ahmed Adeeb arrested in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate the president.
Yameen narrowly escaped injury when a blast struck the boat he was using to return home from the airport late last month.
Adeeb has been charged with high treason.
BBN/SK/AD