UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the Maldivian government to lift a blockade of parliament. According to a statement issued by a UN spokesman, the Secretary-General urged the government of Maldives to refrain from all acts that result in the harassment and intimidation of Members of Parliament, political parties, civil society and the media. <br/><br/>He called on the government to uphold the constitutionally guaranteed rights of speech and assembly said the Statement. Mr. Guterres also voiced concern over gradual erosion of basic democratic norms and principles in the country. <br/><br/>The UN chief's remarks came amid the ongoing political turmoil in the Maldives where soldiers have barred the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) from entering the parliament complex. Lawmakers who tried to enter the compound were hit with pepper spray and forcibly evicted.