The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s party ticket for the upcoming Presidential Election has been awarded to party leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed, who alone, contested in the party primaries and won over 43,922 votes.

The ticket was officially conferred at a ceremomy held at the MDP's official campaign site in capital city Male' on Saturday evening.

Nasheed's campaign manager, North-Hithadhoo constituency MP Mohamed Aslam accepted the ticket on Nasheed's behalf as the former President is currently in self-exile, unable to return home as it would mean going back behind bars.

Speaking at the ceremony, MDP's chairperson Hassan Latheef said that the party's campaign activities for the presidential election, slated for September, will commence in all parts of the nations in the near future.

While the most important factor of a campaign is a manifesto, Latheef said that the assemblage of a manifesto is proceeding in high spirits, giving his assurance that a manifesto the people can agree with, will be assembled before the end of June.

Latheef added that significant work is being carried out to make sure Nasheed's name in is the vote paper of the upcoming ballots.

Former President Nasheed, MDP's co-founder and leader, had spoken in the ceremony as well, through skype video conferencing.

While the election was held last Wednesday, authorities attempted to stop it, claiming that Nasheed cannot contest even in MDP's primary as he was issued a 13-year jail sentence in March 2015.