Maduvvary MP Adam Shareef has said former President and Parliamentary Speaker Mohamed Nasheed winning a significant number of votes in the presidential election works in favor of the main opposition, the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM).
Speaking at Tuesday's Parliament sitting, MP Shareef said the path for imprisoned opposition leader and former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom to participate in the presidential election. Shareef expressed confidence that Yameen would secure victory if he were granted freedom through a fair trial.
The MP noted that the main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) faced challenges as 13 of its MPs had defected to a new political party, The Democrats, to contest the presidential election. He speculated that Nasheed would contest the election as the party's candidate, a move that could potentially be advantageous for the PPM.
"I think the Honorable Speaker will contest. Even if he secures at least 30,000 votes, it is a plus for the PPM," Shareef said.
Adam Shareef went on to say that he had observed a growing sentiment within the Parliament for an alternative option to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. He further noted that MDP had lost its supermajority in the Parliament with the defection of the MPs.
