The highest court of the Maldives has sacked the country's elections chief and his deputy and given them suspended jail terms for contempt of court after a months-long confrontation.
The Supreme Court of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation on Sunday sacked Elections Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek and his deputy Ahmed Fayaz.
They each received a six-month jail sentence that was suspended for three years. It will come into effect only if the two are found guilty of the offense again during a three-year period.
Judges said that the officials had disrespected the court by not following election guidelines set out by them.
Tensions arose after the Elections Commission publicly challenged some controversial judgments of the Supreme Court pertaining to last year's presidential election in which President Yameen Abdul Gayoom was elected to office.
