President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, who is widely recognized for bringing democracy to the secluded resort islands, stepped down on Tuesday following weeks of opposition protests that escalated into a police mutiny and what his aide described as a coup. Nasheed, the Maldives' first democratically elected leader, transferred power to Vice-President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, stating that remaining in office would necessitate the use of force against the people. In a televised speech, Nasheed explained, "I am resigning because I do not wish to govern through force," expressing concern that staying in power would lead to the harming of citizens. He added, "I am stepping down because I fear that if the government continues, we may be subject to foreign influences." It was not immediately clear what influences he was referring to, but Hassan Saeed, leader of the DQP, a party in the opposition coalition, and an Indian diplomatic source in Colombo mentioned that Nasheed had asked India for help, but was denied. India had previously assisted in thwarting a coup in the Maldives in 1988 by sending soldiers to support the government. India's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Syed Akbaruddin, stated that the rebellion was an internal matter for the Maldives to resolve. Nasheed won the election in 2008, promising to establish full democracy in the islands and speaking out passionately about the threats of climate change and rising sea levels. However, he faced criticism for arresting a judge he believed was biased towards his predecessor, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had been in power for three decades. Demonstrations following the arrest led to a constitutional dilemma, with Nasheed facing allegations of behaving autocratically. An anonymous official at Nasheed's office described it as a coup, attributing pressure from the police, supporters of Gayoom, and certain factions within the military as the reason for Nasheed's resignation. The new president stated that Nasheed was under protective police supervision for his safety. Saeed of the DQP stated that they will push for Nasheed to be prosecuted for his corruption and disregard for the rule of law. He also mentioned that they will fully support the new president. Vandals vandalized the lobby of the VTV TV station, which is associated with the opposition, and mutinous police attacked and burned Nasheed's party headquarters before taking control of the state broadcaster MNBC and renaming it TV Maldives. Tear gas was used by soldiers on Tuesday against police and protesters outside the Maldives National Defence Force headquarters, while demonstrators chanted "Gayoom" outside the president's office. Gayoom's opposition party in the Maldives, the Progressive Party, accused the military of using rubber bullets on protesters, resulting in injuries to many people. A party spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain "Mundhu" Shareef, reported the incident but did not provide specific details. A government official denied the use of rubber bullets but confirmed that a group of police officers disobeyed orders and attacked a ruling party facility. The official, who chose to remain anonymous, stated that Gayoom's party had called for the overthrow of the democratically elected government and urged citizens to launch jihad against the president. The protests and competition for power before the upcoming presidential election have led to political parties using extreme Islamist language and accusing Nasheed of being anti-Islamic. This reveals the deep-seated rivalry between Gayoom and Nasheed, with Nasheed having been imprisoned for a total of six years after being arrested 27 times by Gayoom's government while advocating for democracy. The vice-president is expected to lead a national unity government until the presidential election. Despite these issues, the troubles have gone unnoticed by the nearly 900,000 affluent tourists who visit the Maldives each year to enjoy its pristine beaches and luxurious resorts. Most tourists are transported directly to their resort islands by seaplane or speedboat, where they can freely consume alcohol and indulge in spa treatments, shielded from the realities of everyday life in the Maldives, a strictly Islamic state where alcohol is prohibited and revealing clothing is disapproved of. Nasheed gained fame for his efforts to prevent the sea from overtaking his country, including holding a cabinet meeting underwater in 2009 to bring attention to the issue. Despite this, many people remember Nasheed for having a judge arrested instead. An anonymous Asian diplomat in Male mentioned that the underwater cabinet meeting is not as memorable as the incident with the judge. On the other hand, a Twitter user named Alexander Brown shared that he was in the Maldives witnessing a government overthrow while also observing a Vogue photo shoot at the Four Seasons, noting the strange nature of the world.