By Saroj Pathirana BBC Sinhala service

	The political crisis in the atoll nation doesn't seem to be coming to an end

Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Shaheed told BBC Sandeshaya that President Mohamed Nasheed has set up an interim council to look after administrative affairs of the Supreme Court and Department of Justice that comes under the court from midnight Saturday.

"There is no Supreme Court at the moment. There is no other body which can perform functions of the Supreme Court," he said.

The interim Supreme Court expired on Saturday under the constitution adopted by the atoll nation two years ago.

'Legal void'

"Now at the end of the two-year time frame, the parliament has failed to complete the process," Dr. Shaheed said.

President Nasheed is also considering setting up an appellate body, in addition to the four-member Interim Administrative Body to oversee the functions of the Supreme Court, "but it is still under consideration", he said.

	President is considering setting up an appellate body to oversee the functions of the SC

Political crisis between the government and the opposition which has the majority in the parliament known as the Majlis increased after the all cabinet of ministers resigned protesting what they called as opposition's blackmail over government affairs.

But the opposition accuse the government of crackdown of opposition leaders and supporters.

The same cabinet of ministers was later re-appointed.

The president has nominated a new head of the Supreme Court but the parliament, which is to reconvene on Monday, is yet to confirm or reject the nomination.

"If they reject the nomination then there will be another nomination. And the process might drag on," the minister said.

The foreign minister added that the lower courts are functioning as usual but admitted that the Maldives is in a "kind of a legal void".