Representatives of the main-ruling MDP's faction that supports Parliament Speaker and MDP President Mohamed Nasheed have once again met with Jumhooree Party leader Qasim Ibrahim.
The meeting, attended by former GDh. constituency MP Mohamed Rashad Hussain and former Madaveli MP Mohamed Nazim, was held at Sun Island Resort on Monday. Hussain Firushan, who is leading Nasheed's "Fikuregge Dhirun" campaign, shared a photo of the meeting on Twitter.
Two close associates of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who is MDP's presidential candidate for the September elections, also met Qasim last week. MDP Parliamentary Group Leader and Hithadhoo North MP Mohamed Aslam and Hulhumale' MP and President Solih's younger brother Ali Niyaz were present at the meeting. They reportedly held talks to form a coalition between MDP and the JP. However, MDP said there was no specific proposal, and no agreement was reached at the meeting.
On February 15, the MDP National Assembly passed a resolution giving the MDP presidential candidate, President Solih, the power to decide if he wants to form a coalition in the upcoming presidential election. Earlier on Sunday, President Solih sent a letter to the ruling coalition partners asking them to work together with MDP in the forthcoming presidential election.
The coalition partners- which include JP, Adhaalath Party, and MRM- are yet to decide on the presidential election. Meanwhile, JP is preparing to hold its congress on the 24th and 25th of this month, where decisions will be made regarding the election.
Following his defeat in the MDP primary last month, Nasheed had said he would not support President Solih and has been running a separate political movement within the party under the slogan "Fikuregge Dhirun", the same slogan he used in his MDP primary campaign. His associates, Henveiru Central MP Ali Azim and President's Office Minister and MDP's Vice President Mohamed Shifaz, have previously met Qasim at Sun Island. The meeting took place on the 2nd of this month.
