Maldivian media reported that Dhiyana publicly announced to submit her resignation on Friday to Maldivian Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem, who is also the current chairperson of SAARC Council of Ministers. [break]
The move comes after the government expressed outrage over her remarks against the arrest of the country´s Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.
Responding to her criticism against the government´s move to arrest the judge and opposition party leaders, Maldivian President´s Press Secretary Mohammad Zuhair had alleged that Saeed´s stating her “personal and private position” on TV “clearly contravened the SAARC Charter”.
“I did not interfere with any internal affairs of the Maldives and I will submit my resignation today,” a local newspaper quoted Saeed, who is the youngest and the first female SAARC Secretary General, on Friday.
Niranjan Basnyat, Director at SAARC Secretariat on behalf of Nepal, however, said they do not have any official information about Saeed´s resignation. “We may possibly know about the developments, if any, by Monday," he said.
According to online edition of local Haveeru newspaper, Maldivian government and Secretary General Saeed were at odds over the legality of the arrest of Chief Judge Mohamed, who along with senior opposition party leaders was arrested last week by Maldivian authorities.
Saeed had publicly accused the government of ignoring existing laws of the country and called parliament to oppose the ruling body during a press conference.
“The government does not have the authority to say we will act on this article and this article does not exist for us,” the newspaper quoted Saeed as claiming during the press conference that was aired on Jumhoree Party leader Gasim Abrahim´s VTV on Wednesday night.
“This is not something we can pick and choose.”
Saeed had assumed her post as SAARC Secretary General in March, 20011. She was the second Maldivian to be appointed to the post after Special Envoy to the President Ibrahim Hussein Zakee.
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