"The EU reiterates its view that the participation of the preferred candidates from all political formations in the Maldives is essential to ensuring the success of the forthcoming elections; it would be difficult to consider them credible and inclusive if Mr Nasheed and his party were to be prevented from standing or campaigning," the statement said. In a statement countering EU’s call, the government assured that it is committed to ensuring that the Presidential elections will be fair and inclusive of all qualified parties and individuals wishing to participate. “It is therefore regrettable that a responsible international organisation, such as the EU, chose to state in public that the forthcoming presidential elections would not be credible unless a particular person is allowed to contest in the elections,” government said. Nasheed is currently facing trial over allegations that he ordered the unconstitutional detention of Chief Criminal Judge Abdulla Mohamed that eventually lead to the resignation of Nasheed in February last year. He would be barred from leading his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the election if he was given a jail sentence of more than one year by the court. He has labeled the case against him to be politically- motivated designed to prevent him from contesting the presidential elections slated for September 7. During the last hearing, Nasheed's legal team had asked prosecutors to delay the ex-president's trial by four weeks or put off the trial until after the presidential election. As the request had put down two periods by which to delay the trial, when the Judges bench had asked prosecutors of their stand, prosecutors said they had no objection to putting off the trial until after the election and had no reservations to delay the trial by four weeks. However, as the Elections Commission is yet to announce Nasheed as a presidential candidate for the elections, the Judges bench said it will not decide on delaying the trial until after the election at this time and put off the trial by four weeks. The European bloc had also urged the Maldivian authorities to ensure Nasheed's personal safety and security, and noted in the statement that the prosecution had accepted a defense request to defer his trial until after the upcoming presidential elections in September. In response the government statement noted that the criminal charges were filed against the former President by an independent Prosecutor General. “President Nasheed disregarded over a dozen court orders from the Civil Court, Criminal Court, High Court and the Supreme Court to produce the Judge before the court. President Nasheed also dismissed calls by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, Prosecutor General, and several international organisations, including the EU, to release the judge,” statement read. “Moreover, under the 2008 Constitution, the Executive branch of the Government cannot intervene in a case filed by the Prosecutor General (PG). The PG in fact ordered the investigation of the case, in January 2012, while President Nasheed was still the President.” Government further highlighted that the Court’s decision to postpone Nasheed’s trial clearly showed that the courts in the Maldives are in fact able to make credible decisions in a politically divisive environment and that they are neither unfairly biased against Nasheed nor conspiring against him. “The decision also goes on to highlight that the case against the former President is not politically motivated and that in effect, Mr. Nasheed does accept that there is a genuine case against him. The Government has always maintained that it should be given the necessary space to manage and develop an authentic democratic culture in the Maldives without external interference,” government stressed. “It is important to note that elections in the Maldives are held in accordance with the Constitution and the relevant laws of the Maldives. The Government in the Maldives is elected by the people and for the people of the Maldives.”