A UN envoy is due to meet the current and former presidents of the Maldives to try to end the political crisis gripping the tiny Indian Ocean nation.Former President Mohamed Nasheed says he was forced to resign after a coup.
New leader Mohammed Waheed Hassan Manik denies this. Protests turned violent on Wednesday.
Mr Nasheed was among dozens injured in the capital, Male, when riot police used tear gas against protesters.
Mr Nasheed is still in his home, and there has been no sign of the new government trying to carry out a warrant it says it has issued for his arrest, the BBC's Andrew North in Male reports.
So far the streets in the capital are quiet, but there are concerns about possible clashes after Friday prayers, our correspondent adds.
Snap election call Mr Nasheed resigned on Tuesday following weeks of protests over his rule.
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The Maldives
- The Maldives is a chain of nearly 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean
- Fewer than 200 of those islands are inhabited but with sandy beaches and coral, tourism is the Maldives' largest industry
- It became a protectorate under the Dutch in the 17th Century and then the British in the 19th Century. It achieved full independence in 1965
- President Mohamed Nasheed came to power after elections in 2008 ended 30 years of autocratic rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
- A former political prisoner and activist, President Nasheed highlighted the threat of global warming to the low-lying islands
- But he has faced fierce political opposition, as parliament is dominated by opposition supporters of the former president
- Tensions escalated last month after the army arrested a senior judge the government accused of political bias, prompting street protests
On Friday, he reiterated that he had been ousted in coup, saying he was threatened at gunpoint.
"About 18 or so military personnel came up to me and said that if I didn't resign in one hour they would resort to using arms," Mr Nasheed told the BBC from his home in Male."They gave me a piece of paper and told me to write it - I wrote it and signed it, and they took the letter."
Mr Nasheed also urged the new leader to hand over power to the Speaker of parliament, adding that fresh elections should be then held within two months.
New President Hassan denies the coup claims and says his aim now was to form a coalition to help restore stability ahead of fresh presidential elections due next year.
The army also rejects Mr Nasheed's version of events.
On Wednesday, several thousand MDP supporters, led by Mr Nasheed, marched through the streets of the capital in protest at his ousting. Riot police fired tear gas and broke up the demonstration - dozens of opposition supporters were arrested and several badly beaten.
The violence spread to outlying islands, where there were reports that several police stations had been overrun by supporters of Mr Nasheed.
Tensions in the Maldives escalated in January after the government ordered the arrest of a senior judge in the Maldives criminal court.
Protests over the arrest of the judge are widely seen as having hastened the downfall of Mr Nasheed. The judge was released soon after Mr Hassan took power.
Foreign governments are advising those visiting the islands to be careful. The archipelago receives nearly a million visitors a year - but most head straight to their resorts and never reach the capital.
