Former President Abdulla Yameen has urged the opposition coalition's leadership to boycott the 2023 presidential election in response to the Supreme Court's verdict on his candidacy rejection appeal.
The Supreme Court upheld the Elections Commission's (EC) decision to reject Yameen's candidacy on Sunday, August 6, deeming him constitutional ineligibility with reference to Article 109 of the Maldives Constitution.
It has been revealed that Yameen requested the leadership of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) to refrain from participating in the election. He urged the PPM-PNC Senate to consider boycotting the election if they believe his fundamental right to participate has been violated.
It has been reported that Yameen's directive, conveyed through a written note, has been shared with the opposition coalition's leadership, sparking discussions. However, several members of the leadership have raised objections, leading to a heated debate on the matter.
PPM and its coalition partner People’s National Congress (PNC) have convened a joint senate meeting on the matter, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Yameen's call for the coalition to boycott the election came after PNC nominated Male’ City Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu as its presidential candidate.
PPM announced its intention to prepare and nominate its own candidate in case Yameen is disqualified by the Supreme Court.
However, some Senate members have raised doubts about the authenticity of the note, as they find it hard to believe that Yameen would call for an election boycott after endorsing Dr. Muizzu as the opposition's candidate.
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