Progressive Party of Maldives' parliamentary group leader Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik has suggested that Qasim Ibrahim is comparatively better than former president Mohamed Nasheed - as the opposition backed candidate to run for presidency in 2018.
Nihan's comments came after Raajje TV took a voters poll to see who was the promising candidate for 2018 elections. Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Qasim Ibrahim took the lead with 43% while the self-exiled former head of state Nasheed received 25 percent.
Nihan who also holds parliamentarian designation for Vilimale' constituency said that the opposition coalition lacked adequate candidates however said the most notable opposition leader is Qasim Ibrahim - who Nihan characterized as a "significantly better option" than Nasheed.
The Vilimale' constituency lawmaker had furthermore taunted the Raajje TV - that harbors an anti-government sentiment - and threw shade over the channel's polls, suggesting the use of bot-IDs for voting.
Prime opposition favoring Raajje TV's polls indicate Qasim Ibrahim leading with 43% while a surprise second place was awarded to Sheikh Imran Abdulla, leader of the religiously conservative Adaalath Party, who managed to garner 30% votes in favor. Meanwhile Nasheed succeeded with only 25% of votes placing him at third.
In a not so surprising turn of events the lowest vote percentage was awarded to former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Gayoom received a mere 2% in the polls.
The former head of state, who ruled for nearly 3 decades have taken a step back in the political arena while many speculate that Gayoom has been grooming his son, lawmaker Ahmed Faris Maumoon to succeed him.
