President Abdulla Yameen has admitted to personally stopping former President Mohamed Nasheed and Jumhooree Party leader Qasim Ibrahim from contesting the presidential elections.

Speaking at a campaign event on Friday night, President Yameen asked the audience if they want to vote to release prisoners or vote for continued development.

He said that a vote on the presidential election on September 23 is a vote for Islam and justice.

In his speech, President Yameen said that Joint Opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and running mate Faisal Naseem should thank him since they received the opposition parties’ ticket because he had stopped Nasheed and Qasim from being able to contest the elections.

During his one-hour speech, President Yameen only aimed criticism at Nasheed, the self-exiled leader of main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), and the controversial GMR deal, while also condemning countries that have warned the Maldives government of imposing sanctions.

While President Yameen has said that he personally stopped Nasheed and Qasim from contesting the elections, in previous speeches he had repeatedly said that they were barred from the elections due to their prison convictions, while also denying influencing court rulings.