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Sunday, May 1, 2011

Opposition: Thousands protest in Maldives capital

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Several thousand protesters converged on the Maldives capital Male Saturday to demand that President Mohamad Nasheed step down, an opposition spokesman said.

The spokesman, Mohammed Shareef, said about 5,000 people, mostly young men, were protesting against economic hardship, alleged mismanagement and wasteful spending.
"The main reasons are the recent devaluation of the currency and subsequent increase in the prices of essentials," Shareef said.
"The government is refusing to acknowledge there is a problem. Unemployment is rising along with inflation," he said.
Government officials could not be contacted immediately for comment.
Maldives is an Indian Ocean archipelago of 1,200 islets inhabited by around 300,000 people with a tourism-driven economy.
Nasheed was elected president in the country's first multiparty election in 2008 after 30 years of authoritarian rule. AP