Self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed on Friday warned the emergence of "two governments" if the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate is not allowed to contest the upcoming presidential elections.
In an interview to opposition aligned Raajje TV on Friday, Nasheed warned that the international community would not accept the outcome of the presidential election with incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom as the only candidate while the legitimacy of the government elect would be questioned.
If that were to happen, the now united opposition would have grounds to form another government, Nasheed said adding that the only way to ensure political stability was for president Yameen to allow the MDP candidate to stand for the elections.
"If president Yameen holds an election like that, then his government would not have legitimacy. So the opposition would have every right to form a government of its own. This is something that should be considered seriously. There can be no political stability if the MDP candidate is not allowed to contest," Nasheed said.
MDP has planned to hold the primary on May 30 with Nasheed the only candidate thus far to announce intention to contest the elections.
The party had also announced its decision to place ballot boxes in every inhabited island throughout the archipelago.
In addition, the main opposition party would also place ballot boxes in four countries, including Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and the United Kingdom.
Nasheed meanwhile has already launched his campaign for the upcoming primary via Skype.
Nasheed lives in self imposed exile most recently in Sri Lanka after he was allowed to leave to the UK on medical leave in an internationally brokered deal following his jailing on terrorism charges.
Nasheed's 13 year prison sentence definitely rules him out of the elections in September. But the ex-president has announced his intention to contest the MDP primary on May 30.
He had announced plans to establish a unity government with the other political leaders.
The main opposition leaders including former presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Nasheed along with Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim and religiously conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla inked pact to form what they called a 'reform alliance'.
With the candidacy of the four leaders - all convicted and serving sentences on questionable charges in serious doubt, the united opposition had announced plans to nominate a single candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.
