President Abdulla Yameen has said former president Mohamed Nasheed has always been an ‘enemy’ of the state long before his ascension to presidency. 

At a ruling party gathering on Thursday night, President Yameen said that Nasheed had sought ‘political asylum’ abroad long before he was elected in 2008, and that anyone who 'seeks political asylum' is an enemy of the state and not someone any sovereign leader can forgive. 

He said this in response to the opposition parties’ call to free Nasheed, who has been sentenced to 13 years on terror charges – for arresting and detaining a judge during his tenure in office. 

Yameen had reiterated the government’s call for inclusive dialogue between the ruling and opposition coalitions, adding that he had asked the opposition to officially request Nasheed's release. 

“What the government advises is that we all act within legal ambit, and if the law provides room for it, we will find a way to allow Nasheed to compete in the 2018 elections” Yameen said. 

Nasheed had announced at a press conference in Sri Lanka earlier this year that his decision to contest the elections and welcomed President Abdulla Yameen to run against him.

“If President Yameen has the courage to contest against me, he should, and if he does not, and I am unable to contest, we will put forth another candidate” Nasheed had then said. 

Nasheed had been granted asylum by the government of Britain in 2016, after he left the country for medical treatment while serving his sentence.

Further, on Thursday President Yameen had said that the Maldivian society has a number of people that seem to ‘differ’ from conservative Islamic views and said that Maldives must remain united when it comes to religion. He assured that the government would fight any such ideology that contradicts with Islam.