The Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) has decided not to support any candidate in the upcoming second round of the presidential election.
A second of the presidential election was confirmed when the leading candidates from the initial round, PPM-PNC's Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, and the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, failed to secure the required 50 percent majority for a decisive victory. This emphasized the need for both candidates to form alliances with other parties to secure their win in the final round. Subsequently, extensive negotiations have been taking place between both parties and various other political parties and figures.
At a press conference held Wednesday, MRM's President, Ahmed Faris Maumoon, announced the party's decision not to back any candidate in the second round. He described the candidates' inability to secure 50 percent of votes as evidence of their failure to present a comprehensive and complete manifesto.
"Even considering the number of votes we received, we don't think they have much support. We don't believe our endorsement would sway our supporters' votes or attract additional votes for any candidate," Faris said.
Faris added that the MRM's proposals were shared with the candidates, and extensive discussions were carried out to identify what was acceptable to the candidates.
“We were working to add these important points to their manifestos to reform the country,” he said.
Faris stressed that the country requires reforms, but it may be challenging for a president elected from a major political party to enact them.
"It is obvious that the reforms we need to bring will be difficult to bring under the rule of a particular major party. Therefore, we have decided not to support any party in the second round," he said.
Faris said the MRM's manifesto and proposals were well received by the people, encouraging the party to continue its work. In this regard, the manifesto will be considered a platform for the MRM to contest the parliamentary elections, he said.
