Demanding a free and fair election in Maldives, the country's ousted President Mohamed Nasheed has said he does not want to topple the government of the day.
"We do not want to topple a government. We want an election," Nasheed told a Washington audience at an event organised by US Institute of Peace, an eminent American think tank.
Currently on a trip to the United States, Nasheed on Monday met Assistant secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake. No details of the meeting were available.
"Give us an election and let's see who wins," said Nasheed, who was ousted in what he claims was a coup d'tat early this year.
During his stay, he is also scheduled to meet US lawmakers and attend a round table being hosted by Amnesty International.
Nasheed is scheduled to return to Maldives on July 1.
Responding to a question, he said if he was to be re-elected, he would be "naive again and would continue to do that.
"Purging the military and going on a vendetta would not help us. It might give us some satisfaction, to some of us... I can't see how that would serve us in having a better society."
Nasheed was the first democratically-elected President of Maldives.
