President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed quit his post today following several weeks of public protests over his order to arrest a senior judge.

Addressing the nation over a TV channel this afternoon after the island nation’s police also joined the protestors in Male, Nasheed said he intended not to hurt any Maldivian and the best option for him was to quit his post.

Mr Nasheed, a former pro-democracy political prisoner and the country’s first democratically elected leader in three decades, will hand over power to his Vice-President Mohammed Waheed Hassan.

Nasheed is also a former human rights campaigner and a celebrated environmentalist. He became the President by defeating the nation’s longtime ruler Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 2008 in the first multiparty elections.

Nasheed bought trouble after he ordered the military to arrest Abdulla Mohamed, the chief judge of the Criminal Court. His orders came after the judge ordered the release of a government critic observing the arrest was illegal.

Things started reversing for the President after the Vice-President, Supreme Court, Human Rights Commission, Judicial Services Commission and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have all called for the release of the judge.

People started protesting against the order of the President and police also joined the protestors today taking the agitation to its peak. When the army entered the scene and clashed with the police injuring three, the police called for the resignation of Nasheed. (JUBS)