Maldives President and presidential candidate of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, has said Maldives Development Alliance (MDA)'s decision to withdraw from its coalition with MDP will prove to be a misstep.
After MDA's key figures stayed away from campaign events following President Solih's second-place finish in the initial round of the presidential election, MDA at its Council Meeting held Tuesday decided to withdraw from the coalition with MDP and instead endorse the rival candidate, PPM-PNC's Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
In the first campaign event held following the MDA's decision, President Solih said he respected the MDA's decision and thanked the party for its prior efforts. He extended well wishes to the party, but stated that it will soon become evident that the decision to part ways with the MDP was not a favorable one.
Drawing upon a common saying among the people, the President emphasized that there may be some dirty ones among fresh clothes, implying that such occurrences are a part of life. He urged his supporters not to be concerned about the MDA's withdrawal from the coalition and encouraged them to press forward with confidence.
