The President of the main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and MDP's primary candidate, Mohamed Nasheed, has said he does not intend to form a coalition until the results of the first round of the presidential election are clear.
Speaking at a campaign rally held in Male' City on Sunday night for supporters from Ha. HDh. Sh. and Gn. atoll, Nasheed, who is vying for MDP's presidential ticket to contest the 2023 Presidential Election, said he was confident that he would win the primary. He requested his supporters to work for him to win the presidential election more than the primary.
President Nasheed said he would contest the presidential election but would decide to form a coalition after considering the results of the first round.
"[The MDP is] at 60 percent, in fact at 100 percent. They themselves have to participate in this election and get a good enough result. When these people have to take 40 percent, I think it's a big pity for the people of the Maldives; it is a great shame even for the people of MDP," Nasheed said, noting that he was unhappy with MDP's share in the current coalition government.
Nasheed said it was a huge injustice for President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to give 40 percent of the coalition government to MDP while rival parties were given the bulk of the government. The MDP's supermajority win in the Parliament election alone makes evident how unjust the allocation is, said Nasheed.
President Nasheed said the majority of the people of the Maldives support the MDP and vote for the implementation of the policies brought by the MDP. However, President Solih's government was going against MDP policies in some areas, he said, describing the government's actions as regretful.
Nasheed referred to President Solih's decision not to implement the offshore platform policy mentioned in MDP's policy. He said the plan was included in the manifesto after much research as a way to increase revenue while also decreasing expenditure. Despite its many benefits, the government chose not to implement the policy, which in turn made the price of yellowfin tuna stagnant, said Nasheed,
Nasheed added that whatever the Maldives currently has was the result of working towards democracy. While some features of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom's government of the pre-democratic period are seen in the current government, it is high time that the country reverted back to democratic principles, he said. This can only be done through electing him in the upcoming presidential election, he said.
Nasheed also accused the government of corruption and not punishing those who committed such acts. He went on to state that the government was undertaking development projects beyond its capacity and that it was not the way to do things.
President Nasheed further said that the opposing PPM members, who used to show hatred during his previous visits to the islands, no longer acted in such a manner. He said this was the beginning of a change. He said the future was very hopeful.
Very few supporters attended Sunday night's rally. Of the approximately 100 seats at the event, many were vacant.
