The Maldives, a popular tourist destination, saw a change in leadership as the man who brought democracy to the islands resigned amid military pressure following a police mutiny. His party labeled it a bloodless coup. The capital island, Male, was peaceful just 24 hours after police and opposition protesters took over the military headquarters and state TV station. Former President Mohamed Nasheed stepped down on Tuesday and was released from military custody. The political turmoil did not affect the daily lives of tourists who visit the luxury resorts on the desert islands. The speaker of the People's Majlis swore in Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik as his deputy. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated his hope that the handover of power would lead to a peaceful resolution of the political crisis in the country. The crisis began when former President Nasheed ordered the military to arrest a judge, leading to weeks of protests and a police revolt. Eventually, Nasheed was forced to resign by elements of the military marching him into his own office. Nasheed was taken to his office, introduced to his cabinet, and later appeared on television to declare his resignation, according to Roberts, a 32-year-old British citizen speaking from an undisclosed location. Roberts stated that Nasheed was compelled to step down by the military. Despite having the option to resist violently, Nasheed chose not to shed blood. Amnesty International advised the new administration to refrain from targeting individuals based on their political beliefs, as there were concerns about potential persecution of Nasheed and his close associates not being permitted to leave the country. The new president, Waheed, was expected to lead a coalition national unity government until the presidential election in October 2013. He stated on Tuesday that it was incorrect to refer to the change of leadership as a coup and assured that tourists were not in danger. Tourism makes up around two-thirds of the Maldives' GDP of approximately $1 billion. While there were some travel advisories, such as from Britain, advising against travel to Male, most of the Maldives' nearly 1 million annual visitors do not actually go to the capital. Instead, they are transported directly from the airport island to their resorts by speedboat or seaplane. Flights arrived as scheduled on Wednesday. Opposition parties, despite their differences, united against Nasheed during the constitutional crisis and protests, criticizing his Islamic credentials. The Maldives is predominantly Sunni Muslim. Analyst N. Sathiya Moorthy praised Nasheed for being the first democratically elected president but also noted the constitutional and political deadlocks he faced. Moorthy commended Nasheed for his commitment to democratic principles by gracefully stepping down from office. In a clear indication that the period before Nasheed had come back, the national broadcaster MNBC was rebranded as TV Maldives and started airing numerous interviews with opposition leaders. This was the same name it had during Gayoom's 30-year rule, who was known for his authoritarian approach and was Nasheed's opponent. Nasheed spent a total of six years in prison, across 27 arrests, while fighting for democracy against Gayoom. Nasheed defeated his rival in a 2008 election, marking the first multi-party democratic vote in the history of the former British colony, which is home to around 330,000 people and was a sultanate for many centuries. He was also praised for his strong advocacy on climate change and the threat of rising sea levels to the low-lying nation.