Former president Mohamed Nasheed on Monday hailed ruling Jumhoory Party (JP) announcing its decision to contest for all the seats in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The ruling coalition has remained at loggerheads over contesting the elections through the alliance after Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) earlier this month had backed his decision to contest for all parliamentary seats.
After party leaders along with incumbent president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih failed to reach a consensus, JP late Sunday had opened all 87 constituencies for members interested in running for parliament.
Nasheed on Twitter welcomed JP's decision saying that it was another victory for democracy in the Maldives adding that the people have the right to choose their representatives.
However, the decision made by both parties appear to be in direct violation of the agreement signed by the four parties of the coalition before its victory in September's presidential elections.
Before the coalition led by its candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had pulled off a stunning upset in September's presidential elections, the four main parties had agreed to contest the parliamentary elections through the coalition.
It was widely believed that the coalition would divide up the seats in accordance with the same percentage that political posts were assigned to each party.
The leaders had agreed that MDP would get 40 percent, with 25 percent business tycoon Gasim Ibrahim's Jumhoory Party (JP) and 20 percent for former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The other main party in the coalition, religiously conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) would receive the smallest slice with 15 percent.
According to a copy of the agreement obtained by AVAS which was signed by MDP chairperson Hassan Latheef and Solih, the coalition had agreed to allocate 35 seats for MDP, 22 for JP, 20 for Gayoom's Maumoon Reform Movement (MRM) and 13 for AP.
