Speaking at the inauguration of an art exhibition named "two steps back" organised by opposition-aligned Raajje TV, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate said the past two years since his downfall have been filled with despair for the people. However, the talents of artists have been his biggest encouragement, he added. Nasheed noted the rise in work by talented artists in the past two years, which has been made possible by the freedom of expression granted under the new constitution. "In the past two years we have seen that the people were not willing to give up that right. We're not here to relinquish that position. If we take two steps back we will take four steps forward more quickly," he said. Nasheed stressed that every step back has to be tactically astute which is exactly what MDP has done in the last two years. "The other night I thought of calling [former Egyptian president] Morsi and ask him to take a step back. To ask him to tell the generals that he would never engage in any political activity again. That he will never involve himself in such a thing again. To tell them quickly. The generals are armed. When they are armed, we must act with prudence. To escape, evade. But unfortunately I had the wrong number. The number of El-Baradai [Egypt's new vice president]," he said relating his fall from power to the coup in Egypt. Nasheed also expressed hope in winning the upcoming presidential elections.