The Maldives' former strongman ruler Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on Friday hailed the island nation's new government as legitimate and denied charges he was involved in engineering a coup.
Gayoom, who governed with an iron grip for three decades, also would not rule out a bid to return
to power following Tuesday's resignation of elected leader Mohamed Nasheed, who quit in a move he said was forced by a police and army mutiny.
The Indian Ocean island nation has been rocked by weeks of opposition-led protests capped by the resignation of Nasheed, who has alleged a conspiracy with the involvement of Gayoom and ex-vice president Mohamed Waheed.