Speaking to the media about the issue, Tomas Zdechovsky, Member of the European Parliament and EPP Party Rapporteur on Maldives, said the sanctions targeted officials in Maldives 'for undermining the rule of law, political and human rights and failure to create conditions for holding free and fair elections'.

Maldives was sanctions by the EU Foreign Affairs Council earlier this week.

Zdechovsky has advised the Maldivian government to not get caught up in its own propaganda, but to look for solution and better the situation.

Zdechovsky says Maldives could face more sanctions if it decides against correcting itself. Image: twitter.com/TomZdechovskyEP

Earlier this month, thousands of resort workers in Maldives launched an agitation and threatened to strike work for their voting rights after the island nation's Election Commission (EC) decided to have ballot boxes in only seven resorts as against 40 in the 2013 polling.

The resort employees union said the move by the EC seemed to be at the behest of the ruling regime now as the island nation witnessed a state of emergency declared in February this year, by President Abdulla Yameen, triggering a crisis and suspension of civil rights.

Following the emergency, Yameen and his government were warned by European External Action Service to either take corrective steps or face sanctions.

Zdechovsky said that if Maldives continues to carry on in a similar fashion, it will face stronger sanctions, which would be imposition of travel ban and asset freeze on relevant individuals and entities.

Image: Wallpaper