Parliament Speaker and prominent Democrats member Mohamed Nasheed has hinted that he may back the PPM-PNC presidential candidate, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, in the upcoming presidential election run-off.
Nasheed, who initially contested the presidential ticket of the main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) but later left the party following his defeat to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, refrained from supporting President Solih's candidacy while in MDP. Instead, he joined forces with The Democrats, a party formed by his allies who had left the MDP ahead of him.
In the presidential election held yesterday, the PPM-PNC candidate emerged as the leading contender, securing 46 percent of votes, while President Solih trailed behind with 39 percent. The Democrats' candidate, Ilyas Labeeb, received 15 percent of the votes. While a second round of voting now confirmed, it is evident that forging coalitions with other political entities will be pivotal for both parties to secure victory in the second round. With the Democrats securing over 15 percent of votes, some speculate Nasheed is the "King Maker" for the second round.
Following the announcement of the first-round results, Nasheed took to Twitter, referring to claims made by some groups regarding Dr. Muizzu's potential to promote extremism in the Maldives if elected president. In his tweet, Nasheed expressed doubt that any other government could provide more space for extremism and implement such policies beyond what the current government has already done.
President Nasheed was targeted in a bomb attack on the night of May 6, 2021, during the current presidential term. Nasheed has previously made serious allegations against the government concerning the bombing, even claiming that the government had received tip-offs about three potential attacks against him.
The bombers in the May 6 attack were identified as extremists, according to reports compiled after an investigation by state agencies.
