If Waheed gets 10,000 votes, I will then believe that I do not understand politics: former president Nasheed

Former President and Maldivian Democratic Party's (MDP) presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed has said that he will believe that he does not understand politics if the current President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik receives more than 10,000 votes during the upcoming presidential elections.

Speaking to Sun Online after returning back from his travels to Denmark, the former president said that President Waheed will not be able to win the presidential election regardless of the size of his coalition because the people will not accept a man who had “staged a coup d'état.”

“I do not believe that president Waheed will be able to win the election even if everyone who staged the coup came together. That is regardless of the size of his coalition, I will believe that I do not understand politics if he gets 10,000 votes in the presidential elections.”

The former president said that he is certain that MDP will win the presidential election during the first round of voting.

“We are seeing ways that we can win the presidential election through the first round. I have no doubts about that,” said MDP’s leader and presidential candidate.

Speaking of his opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), and the their recent decision to penalize its defeated presidential primary candidate Umar Naseer, Nasheed said that a paryt's presidential candidate should not be criticized as Umar had done, and anyone who does so must be duly punished.

Speaking of his recent travels to Denmark, former president Nasheed said that the change of government had halted a MVR 10 billion grant from the Government of Denmark, but said that he had discussed with senior members of the Danish Government about ways to re-secure the funding.

He said that the Danish Government had also assured him that they will assist him to ensure that he can participate in the upcoming presidential elections.

Former president Mohamed Nasheed also spoke at the Danish Parliament, met with some of the Ministers of the Government of Denmark, and had given a lecture on sustainability at the University of Copenhagen.