Speaking to a Sri Lankan newspaper The Sunday Leader yesterday the ousted President said that the international community must act now before it is too late. His appeal to the International Community to help restore democracy in the politically volatile nation received a major blow yesterday after India and the US pledged allegiance to the new government. The nation was in a state of turmoil last week after Nasheed was forced to resign as President following weeks of opposition protests against his decision to detain Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed. Nasheed has called for fresh elections and demanded President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik to step down and hand power to the speaker of the parliament, until elections can be held though the next presidential poll is due only in 2013. However, the US envoy Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake who visited to assess the situation in the country said yesterday that the current state of the police, judiciairy and elections commission would not ensure that free and fair elections would be held. The former President sustained injuries when he and his loyalist were attacked and brutally beaten by police during a protest following his resignation. “I will continue my fight in the Maldives. I will not give up. I cannot leave. My family is in Sri Lanka but I will not leave now,” Nasheed told The Sunday Leader. Nasheed’s family has allegedly sought refuge in Sri Lanka and President Mahinda Rajapaksa had appealed to the new President Dr. Waheed to ensure the safety of Nasheed. “President Rajapaksa and I are very close friends and he has been making inquires about my safety and I am very grateful for that,” Nasheed said. Nasheed also urged the Sri Lankan community to support his cause during the crisis in the Maldives, the newspaper further reported.