Colombo, July 7 (IANS) Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed Wednesday reappointed the same cabinet that resigned last week, government officials said.
The Maldivian cabinet resigned en masse June 29 to protest over the alleged blocking of government business by the opposition.
The reappointment came during an official visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the Maldives at the invitation of Nasheed, Xinhua reported.
Sri Lanka offered to mediate in the Maldives after Nasheed and the parliament locked horns over issues connected with the country’s administration, Sri Lankan government officials said.
The Maldives has a presidential system of government, with separation of powers between the executive, the legislative and the judiciary, guaranteed under a constitution that was enacted in 2008.
The president and vice president are elected directly by the people. Nasheed and Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan were elected in October 2008 and are due for re-election in 2013.
The Majlis, or parliament, has 77 directly-elected members. The new parliament was sworn into office in May 2009. The opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party has 34 seats in the Majlis and the support of a number of independent MPs.
