Opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) will concede some seats in the upcoming parliamentary elections to ruling coalition partner, Jumhooree Party (JP), reports reveal.
According to local media, following discussions between the two parties, former president and PPM's leader Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom was instructing the candidates of PPM and People's National Congress (PNC) for certain constituencies to take back their names.
One of the candidates Yameen ordered to withdraw was Gemanafushi MP Jameel Usman, with the slot to be given to JP's Ali Adil.
Adil is the younger brother of Dhangethi MP Ilham Ahmed, and he had served as the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports during Yameen's presidency.
Further details of the seats PPM would concede to JP have not been revealed.
Rifts emerged within the ruling coalition after Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) announced its decision to contest for all 87 constituencies in the parliament. JP's leader Qasim Ibrahim declared that MDP's decision violated the initial seat-sharing agreement among the coalition members, and decided that JP would contest independently of the alliance.
Qasim further declared that JP was willing to enter into discussions with all parties interested in working with them.
Despite the coalition's failure to come to an agreement on contesting together in the parliamentary elections, the remaining members Adhaalath Party and Maumoon Reform Movement stated that they would continue to back the government and would not join former President Yameen.
The coalition's joint parliamentary group leader Abdulla Riyaz also previously declared that JP would never work with Yameen.
Meanwhile, MDP's leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed is urging the public to vote for the ruling coalition, stressing that MDP required the majority of the parliament in order for the government to fulfil its pledges to the people.
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