AP Interview: Fugitive Maldives ex-leader aims for return
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Mohamed Nasheed is a convicted criminal who lives in exile. But he's still hoping for the near-impossible: the presidency of the Maldives.
The odds are stacked against him. His prison sentence disqualifies him from running. His main rival, President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, has near-absolute power. Legally, Nasheed isn't even a candidate.
But Nasheed, who in 2008 became the first democratically elected president of the archipelago nation best known for its high-end resorts, only to be forced out four years later and later convicted in a widely condemned trial, is already on the campaign trail — albeit only online for now, speaking to supporters in video discussions.
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In an interview with The Associated Press in neighboring Sri Lanka, Nasheed insisted he'll face Yameen in elections expected sometime between September and November.