UN chief hopes change in Maldives will bring peace

United Nations -  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed "strong hope" that a shift in power in the Maldives will help quell the violence and tensions the island country has experienced of late, said a UN statement released here Tuesday.

"The secretary general has learned of the resignation of president Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives and the appointment of Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan as the new president of the country," the statement issued by Ban's spokesperson Martin Nesirky said.

"The secretary general expresses his strong hope that this handover of power, which has been announced as a constitutional step to avoid further violence and instability, will lead to the peaceful resolution of the political crisis that has polarized the country in recent months," Xinhua quoted the statement as saying.

The announcement of Nasheed's resignation came Tuesday after anti-government demonstrations in the Maldives turned violent Monday night. The opposition has held protests for weeks, triggered by the military detention of criminal court judge Abdullah Mohamed.

In the statement, Ban called on the people of the Maldives to deal with sources of tension peacefully.

"He calls on all Maldivians to refrain from violence and engage constructively in addressing the challenges their country is facing and to protect and build upon the important gains the Maldives has made in recent years in establishing democracy and rule of law," said the statement.

Ban also acknowledged the contributions of outgoing president Nasheed, both to the establishment of democracy in his country and to international awareness of climate change and rising sea levels.

"The United Nations will remain a close partner of the Maldives and will continue to extend its support in the period ahead," the statement noted.