President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stressed on the importance of voting for members representing main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the upcoming parliamentary election.
Speaking at a campaign event in his birth island Hinnavaru in Lhaviyani atoll, President Solih acknowledged the efforts of all who contributed towards his success in the 2018 presidential election, admitting presidency would not have been possible without their efforts.
Mentioning the coalition partners by name, the president said the partners have nothing to fear from his government. Noting that the partners had fully backed is presidential pledges ahead of the election, he promised to do all that is necessary to fulfill the pledges he made to the Maldivian people. He further re-iterated the importance of ensuring that members who support the pledges made by the government are elected to the parliament.
"If not, there would be obstructions in fulfilling the pledges. We have to pass bills on laws, there are so many issues that require a legal solution. If the parliament does not back our pledges, it would prove to be very dfificut for me to run the government", said the President, urging the people to vote for Agenda 19 by MDP.
While the president has called to vote for members who back the government, some bills presented by the government early into their governance still remain dormant at the parliament. Although the parliament majority is hed by the coalition, important bills such as the bills granting authorities to two presidential commissions still remain dormant at the parliament. MDP's leader Mohamed Nasheed has been insisting the importance of an MDP majority instead of a coalition majority for the very reason.
Due to clashes between Nasheed and coalition partner Gasim Ibrahim, Jumhooree Party has now decided to back some candidates of the opposition in the parliamentary election, prompting senior members of Jumhooree Party to speak out against the alliance.
