Maldives opposition urges military to detain Nasheed

A Maldives opposition leader said he had asked the military to detain Mohamed Nasheed following his resignation as president in the face of popular protests and a police mutiny.

"We have asked the military to keep (Nasheed) in protective custody, to face charges of corruption and misuse of power," Hassan Saeed, who leads the Dhivehi Qaumee Party, told AFP by telephone.

"His rule was tainted with nepotism and corruption, often breaching the constitution," Saeed said, hours after Nasheed announced his resignation in a televised press conference.

"Nasheed's resignation gives us a chance to restore the rule of law and judicial independence. Nasheed squandered a golden opportunity to build a nation."

Nasheed, 44, who was educated in Sri Lanka and Britain, came to power in 2008 after building a pro-democracy movement with local and foreign support in opposition to the 30-year autocratic rule of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.