Nasheed said if voted to power he would bring legal provisions to ensure country's wealth is shared by all and not just by a powerful few.
Nasheed, 46, who won the first multi-party elections here in 2008 was ousted from power in on February 7, 2012, in a move which he terms as coup.
"The election is crucial not just for me but for all Maldivians. The vast majority of people here accept that the events of February 7 were tantamount to a coup d'etat, an illegal overthrow of a democratically elected government through the threat and use of violence," Nasheed told PTI in an interview.
On the question of controversial project GMR which was scrapped by his successor Mohammed Waheed, the former President said he would try to "work within boundaries of law" to bring back the Indian infrastructure major in case he comes to power again.
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"The Waheed regime's decision to unilaterally expel the GMR-MAHB consortium was deeply foolish. The Maldivian people have been left with no new airport, huge potential liabilities running into billions of dollars, and strained relations with our most important international partner," Nasheed said.
"We must also help restore democratic values in the country. We must ensure that everyone in our country respects democratic principles. Fundamentally, this means that people must respect the outcome of free elections and do not attempt to seize power through coups," he said.