Self exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed on Thursday demanded president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom to immediately release all jailed opposition leaders or face intensified opposition efforts of impeachment.
Nasheed was jailed on terror charges after he was convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison over the arbitrary detention of a sitting judge while he was president.
Nasheed now lives in self imposed exile in the UK after he was allowed to leave to Britain on medical leave in an internationally brokered deal in January last year.
The opposition leader who is presently in neighbouring Sri Lanka told opposition aligned Raajje TV expressed hope that president Yameen would truly accept the overwhelming defeat in Saturday's local council elections, free jailed political opponents and opt for dialogue for the sake of the country.
Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) backed by the now united opposition had stunned the ruling party securing more than half the seats including the constituencies with the largest populations.
"After that I hope he [president Yameen] allows a free and fair elections in 2018. If he doesn't we will initiate efforts to remove him from office," Nasheed warned.
He also said the opposition would again look to unseat the parliament speaker as soon as the parliament which is currently in recess, reconvenes.
After the opposition failed to push through a no confidence motion against speaker Abdulla Maseeh in March, the government controlled parliament had moved quickly to squash a second motion in April by raising the number of lawmaker signatures required to file a censure motion against the speaker and his deputy from 15 to 42.
Nasheed however said the opposition had already garnered 48 lawmakers and would then move to secure the 57 required to impeach the president.
"We will surely get 42. Then you will see 57 lawmakers joining us. We are certain of that," the former president stressed.
"Once the parliament reconvenes, the opposition efforts would intensify. Then the country will witness the change, the people are fighting for."
