Former Home Minister Umar Naseer has announced that he will run in the 2018 elections. He made the announcement in a tweet posted Friday evening.
The decision came amid strong divisions between PPM, the Party leader former President Maumoon Abdul Qayyoom and President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Qayyoom and their respective camps. Umar's revelation came after repeated denials that he will not contest in the 2018 elections, but will do so in the 2023 elections. He also said he intended to back President Yameen for the 2013 elections .
Speaking to Avas this evening, the former Home Minister said the country is in dire need of a leader of integrity, adding that this was his sole intention. He said this was the sole reason that propelled his decision to run in 2018.
A vocal proponent of Maumoon since his resignation, Umar said he wll adhere to two principles in running for the next elections. He said he will contest in any primaries run by PPM and run as the PPM candidate or he will run as an independent candidate.
"I want PPM to hold a primary and contest as the Party's candidate. If PPM fails to hold a primary, I will contest an independent candidate. If I fail from the primary, I will not contest the elections as an independent candidate," he said. Umar added that all solid political figures in the country are backing him, adding that he was sure that he will be able to win the primaries.
The Party laws clearly dictates three principles under which a candidate can contest for the Party ticket. The laws state that a primary will be held among all party members three to six months before the Presidential elections. The laws also state that an elected President will be automatically eligible for the Party ticket if he chooses to run for a second term. The third principle says that in the event multiple candidates expressed interest in the Party ticket, the Party congress will decide if a primary will be held.
In spite of this many PPM members have claimed that President Yameen should be given the ticket without any contest, or risk dividing the Party as it had happened in the last primary.
