Former President Mohamed Nasheed, who is contesting in the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s primary elections, has said that his running mate will not be a native of capital Malé  City.

Responding to questions posed by supporters during a Facebook Live on Saturday, Nasheed noted the importance of choosing someone from the outlying atolls as his running mate.

“We will pick an exceptional and dignified person as a running mate. Right now, all I will say is that it will not be someone from Malé .”

Nasheed’s first running back in 2008 was from the capital city- Dr. Mohamed Waheed, who was accused later of playing an vital role in the opposition’s successful attempt to oust Nasheed. Waheed then became president and sidelined Nasheed’s party from the administration and worked with the then-opposition parties.

In the 2013 presidential election, Nasheed picked Dr. Mustafa Luthufee as his running mate. Dr. Luthufee was the education ministry during Nasheed’s administration and was recently the Chancellor of the Maldives National University. Dr. Luthufee is a native of Addu City and plays a large role in MDP activities.