Former president Mohamed Nasheed on Tuesday officially confirmed his intention to contest in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
During a ceremony held in capital Male on Tuesday evening, Nasheed had launched his campaign for Central-Machchangoalhi constituency.
Nasheed's decision has further fueled rumours of his intention to change the country's presidential system to a parliamentary system in a bid to become prime minister.
"I've always believed that the best governance system for a country is a parliamentary system," Nasheed told local reporters after returning from self-imposed exile last month.
Nasheed had lived 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 in 2015 following his jailing on terrorism charges.
He was sentenced to 13 years in prison over the arbitrary arrest and subsequent detention of a sitting judge while he was president.
The Supreme Court however, has now quashed his conviction and subsequent prison sentence.
Nasheed began his political career as a member of parliament in 1999 but was qualified shortly after over contentious theft charges.
