Former Maldivian Preisdent Mohamed Nasheed, who was ousted on Tuesday in an apparent military coup, called for a fresh polls even as his successor, in a seemingly softening stance, reportedly said that the former leader will not be arrested.
Claiming that he was forced to step-down from his post at gunpoint, Nasheed called for early elections in the country while thousands of his supporters took to the streets, clashing with security forces in remote parts of this 1,200-island archipelago nation off southern India.
"I call upon Dr Waheed to immediately step down from the seat he is sitting in and call for immediate elections," Nasheed said at the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) National Council meeting at Dharubaruge on Wednesday, media reports from Maldives said.
Nasheed said he will never back down "until a lawful legitimate government is sworn in."
The new government however, insisted that there was no coup. The new President Mohammed Waheed Hassan was quoted by reports saying Nasheed will not be arrested even though a court had issued an arrest warrant on Thursday for the ex-president.
