The Jumhooree Party (JP) and Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) have announced a strong collaboration to respond effectively to the people in coming up with a "common candidate" for the upcoming presidential election.
While the Democrats, Maldives National Party (MNP), and JP have agreed to produce a common candidate for the September election, the parties have said the implementation of the decision hinges on the opposing Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and MRM aligning themselves with the three parties.
In this regard, JP and MRM met at the JP headquarters on Tuesday to discuss ways to unite their efforts and jointly nominate a single candidate representing all allied parties for the presidential election.
Speaking to reporters following the meeting, MRM's President Ahmed Faris Maumoon said the main discussion was about how the JP and MRM could join hands in the presidential election. They also discussed working responsibly towards nominating a single candidate on behalf of all the allying parties. He emphasized the importance of presenting the voters with acceptable and achievable pledges.
Faris said there were many things the two parties agreed on during the meeting. The two parties will continue to discuss the issues that could not be agreed upon through formal and informal talks, he added.
Both parties expressed their belief in the potential of a common candidate to bring about the desired change for the people. JP's Deputy President, Ameen Ibrahim, said they were determined to explore this avenue despite being a part of the ruling coalition.
Ameen also responded to criticism of the JP and MRM working together with the opposition parties while being part of the ruling coalition. He clarified that the party is currently in talks with other political parties to decide its course of action for the upcoming presidential term, as their coalition agreement with the main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will soon end. He also disclosed that the government had already terminated the existing coalition agreement.
Although Ameen said the coalition agreement had been terminated, neither the government nor the MDP has made such an announcement thus far.
Faeis added that MRM will remain part of the government until the current term ends. However, he emphasized that the party is willing to collaborate with any necessary parties to devise a more effective government approach than the existing one. Faris also expressed disappointment, stating that the initial expectations when joining the ruling coalition were unmet.
Faris acknowledged that having multiple parties support a single common candidate is a challenging endeavor. However, he emphasized that this is what the people desire. The MRM is fully committed to cooperating with this approach and is open to working seamlessly with any political party involved in the process, he said.
Regarding the alleged lack of justice for PPM President and former President Abdullah Yameen, both Faris and Ameen stressed the importance of ensuring fairness and equality for him. They expressed their commitment to advocating for justice in President Yameen's case, emphasizing that justice must prevail.
