President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, known for establishing democracy in the secluded resort islands, stepped down on Tuesday following opposition protests that escalated into a police mutiny and what his aide described as a coup. Nasheed, the Maldives' inaugural democratically elected leader, transferred control of the Indian Ocean archipelago to Vice-President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, stating that staying in power would necessitate the use of force against the people. In a televised speech, he stated, "I am resigning because I do not want to govern through force," and expressed concerns about potential foreign interference if the government remained in power. It was not immediately clear which influences he was referring to, but Hassan Saeed, leader of the DQP, one of the opposition coalition parties, and an Indian diplomatic source in Colombo stated that Nasheed had asked for help from India and was denied. In 1988, India aided in preventing a coup in the Maldives by sending soldiers to support the government. India's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Syed Akbaruddin, stated that the rebellion was an internal issue for the Maldives to resolve. Nasheed won the election in 2008 with a promise to establish full democracy in the Maldives and to speak out about the dangers of climate change and rising sea levels. However, he faced criticism for arresting a judge he believed was biased towards the previous ruler, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had been in power for 30 years. The arrest sparked protests and led to a constitutional crisis, with Nasheed facing accusations of behaving dictatorially. An official at Nasheed's office, who preferred to remain anonymous, described the situation as a coup orchestrated by the police, supporters of Gayoom, and certain factions within the military. The new president stated that Nasheed was placed under protective police custody for his safety. Saeed of the DQP stated that they will demand Nasheed be held accountable for corruption and violating the rule of law, while also pledging full support for the new president. Vandals targeted the lobby of VTV TV station, which is associated with the opposition, and mutinous police attacked and burned Nasheed's party's main rallying point before seizing control of the state broadcaster MNBC and renaming it TV Maldives. Soldiers used teargas on police and protesters outside the Maldives National Defence Force headquarters, and later on, demonstrators gathered outside the president's office chanting "Gayoom." Gayoom's rival Progressive Party of the Maldives accused the military of shooting rubber bullets at protestors, resulting in injuries to many people. The government denied using rubber bullets but confirmed that some police officers had attacked a ruling party facility against orders. An official close to the president stated that Gayoom's party had called for the overthrow of the democratically elected government and for citizens to launch jihad against the president. The protests and political maneuvers leading up to the next presidential election have resulted in parties adopting strong Islamist language and accusing Nasheed of being anti-Islamic. The conflict highlights the ongoing rivalry between Gayoom and Nasheed, with Nasheed having been jailed for a total of six years under Gayoom's government. The vice-president is expected to lead a national unity government until the election. Despite this turmoil, the 900,000 tourists who visit the Maldives each year are largely unaware, as they are quickly transported to their luxury resorts where they can enjoy alcohol and spa treatments, shielded from the Islamic laws and cultural norms of the country. Nasheed gained fame for his efforts to prevent the sea from flooding his nation, including holding an underwater cabinet meeting in 2009. However, some believe that his actions against Judge Abdulla Mohamed, whom he accused of being corrupt, overshadowed this event. In contrast, a Twitter user named Alexander Brown shared a different perspective from the Maldives, mentioning the government overthrow and a Vogue photo shoot happening nearby.