Main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has announced that it would reveal the names of the candidates interested in contesting its upcoming presidential primary on Monday.
During a press conference on Tuesday shortly after opening the primary for interested candidates, the party's elections committee chair Mohamed Ibrahim Manik had shared the timeline for the crunch elections ahead of the presidential elections slated for later this year.
Manik said MDP would publicize the voter list for the primary on Friday while its members would be given the chance to submit complaints over the list on Sunday. The party has planned to send out ballot papers to the islands on Thursday while voting would take place between 9pm to 1am on May 30.
MDP has planned to hold the primary on May 30 with self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed the only candidate thus far to announce intention to contest the elections.
The party had also announced its decision to place ballot boxes in every inhabited island throughout the archipelago.
In addition, the main opposition party would also place ballot boxes in four countries, including Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and the United Kingdom.
Nasheed meanwhile has already launched his campaign for the upcoming primary via Skype.
Nasheed lives in self imposed exile most recently in Sri Lanka after he was allowed to leave to the UK on medical leave in an internationally brokered deal following his jailing on terrorism charges.
Nasheed's 13 year prison sentence definitely rules him out of the elections in September. But the ex-president has announced his intention to contest the MDP primary on May 30.
He had announced plans to establish a unity government with the other political leaders.
The main opposition leaders including former presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Nasheed along with Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim and religiously conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla inked pact to form what they called a 'reform alliance'.
With the candidacy of the four leaders - all convicted and serving sentences on questionable charges in serious doubt, the united opposition had announced plans to nominate a single candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.
