Um novo Presidente nas Maldivas

New Maldives President Mohammed Waheed Hassan has said that it is unfair to describe the removal of President Mohamed Nasheed as a coup.

He said that there was no pre-arranged plan for him to stage a takeover.

The new president criticised his predecessor - who is being held in an undisclosed location - for wrongfully arresting a top judge.

President Hassan said his aim now was to form a coalition to help build a stable and democratic country.

He called for the formation of a national unity government to help the country recover from the political crisis that led to the resignation of his predecessor.

The authorities are also reported to be investigating the discovery of bottles of alcohol being removed from outside Mr Nasheed's residence.

Consuming alcohol outside tourist resorts is a crime in the Muslim nation.

Mr Hassan on Wednesday promised to protect Mr Nasheed from retribution, pointing out that he was free to leave the country.

However he said he would not interfere with any police or court action against Mr Nasheed.

'Rogue elements'

The former president told the AFP news agency on Wednesday that he had been forced to resign by armed police and army officers in a coup plot hatched with the knowledge of his successor.

His resignation came soon after protests over the arrest of Justice Abdulla Mohamed last month.

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The Maldives
The Maldives is a chain of nearly 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean
Fewer than 200 of those islands are inhabited but with sandy beaches and coral, tourism is the Maldives' largest industry
It became a protectorate under the Dutch in the 17th Century and then the British in the 19th Century. It achieved full independence in 1965
President Mohamed Nasheed came to power after elections in 2008 ended 30 years of autocratic rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
A former political prisoner and activist, President Nasheed highlighted the threat of global warming to the low-lying islands
But he has faced fierce political opposition, as parliament is dominated by opposition supporters of the former president
Tensions escalated last month after the army arrested a senior judge the government accused of political bias, prompting street protests
Maldives country profile

He was released soon after Mr Hassan took power.

The judge was accused of being loyal to the opposition by ordering the release of a government critic he said had been illegally detained.
BBC