Former President Mohamed Nasheed has vowed that the opposition coalition will field a single candidate for this year’s presidential election.

The leader of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said this in a statement he gave at a ceremony held on Thursday night to commemorate the more than 1,000-day imprisonment of Imran Abdulla, leader of Adhaalath Party (AP).

The self-exiled leader said that it was a great injustice that Imran has to spend more than a thousand days away from his family.

Emphasizing the importance of the election, Nasheed it was the last chance that the Maldivian people have of regaining democracy in the nation.

Noting the large amount of loans being taken from China, he said that the Maldivian people will have to suffer the consequences of the government’s actions.

Nasheed also expressed concern that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China will increase reliance on Chinese imports and bankrupt Maldivian businesses.