President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said in a nationally televised broadcast that he has ordered an investigation into the violence that wracked the Muslim nation, a popular tourist destination because of its pristine beaches.
He also suspended five prison officials accused of torturing inmates at a prison where police put down a riot on Friday. Three inmates were killed, relatives of the dead men said.
Violence erupted again Saturday when one of the victims was brought to nearby Male, the capital, for burial. What started off as a protest march turned into a riot as people set fire to buildings housing the Election Commission and High Court.
No injuries were reported and no tourists, who generally do not visit the capital, were believed to have been affected by the violence. The government stepped up security around the capital, imposing an all-night curfew.
A resident reached by the telephone from Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital, attributed the unrest in Male to pro-democracy elements. Friday was the deadline for submitting applications for the country's upcoming presidential elections.
Gayoom said the protesters were mostly "people with serious police records."
"I appeal to the people to remain calm and let me, the elected leader, restore law and order," he said.
Gayoom, 64, has ruled for more than two decades with an iron fist and is seeking a sixth successive five-year term. Critics accuse the government of corruption and of failing to check rising unemployment, crime and drug abuse. Four other candidates for the upcoming elections filed nominations by the deadline on Friday.
The curfew was lifted Sunday but, according to an Indian Embassy official, other extra security measures remained in place, including police reinforcements around key government installations and the presence an armed personnel carrier in front of the presidential palace.
Protests are unusual in the Maldives, which is made up of 1,192 coral atolls and is home to 278,000 people, mostly Muslims. With its tourism and fishing industries, the country is one of the richest in South Asia.
Almost all residents, and even government officials, reached by The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing persecution by the regime.
In February, three pro-democracy activists were jailed for life and their assistant imprisoned for 10 years over articles criticizing the government.
