COLOMBO: The Maldivian parliament Wednesday approved the 14-member cabinet appointed by President Mohamed Waheed who is accused of seizing power in a military and police-backed coup.

A vote in the 77-member assembly ratified Waheed's cabinet, which was named after he took office following the resignation of his predecessor Mohamed Nasheed who claimed he was forced to step down.

A parliamentary official who declined to be named said that 45 lawmakers voted in favour of the cabinet.

He added that Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party boycotted the vote.

Waheed has denied allegations that he was involved in any coup and has ordered an investigation into Nasheed's exit from office, but Waheed has rejected international calls for early presidential elections.

Nasheed became the first democratically elected leader in the Maldives following the nation's inaugural multi-party elections in October 2008.