Former Chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Moosa Manik (Reeko), has refuted any statements made regarding the selection of a running mate for President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. He further stated that the allegations made by current MDP Chairperson and Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail regarding this matter are baseless and misguided.
Moosa Manik, who formerly served as the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, referred a tweet by Fayyaz which implied that Moosa had expressed interest in becoming a running mate.
Moosa expressed his confusion regarding Fayyaz's accusation. He said that the decision to select a running mate is not within his authority. He also expressed his sadness over the false statements made by the MDP Chairperson and emphasized that such statements have the potential to create unrest among party members.
"My sole focus is on securing a second term for the President," Moosa said.
While the decision regarding a running mate is still pending, President Solih has said that selecting one would be a "challenging" decision.
"This is currently the most pressing matter on my mind. The decision needs to be made, and I am engaging in individual discussions with party leaders to seek their perspectives and opinions," President Solih stated during a press conference while visiting Fulidhoo in Vaavu atoll for the presidential campaign.
President Solih indicated that there is a possibility of selecting a running mate from within the coalition. MDP is collaborating with the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) and the Adhaalath Party for the upcoming presidential elections.
In the previous presidential election held in 2018, President Solih won with Jumhooree Party's Faisal Naseem as his running mate. However, for the upcoming election, Jumhooree Party has decided to contest separately without forming an alliance with the president. The party's leader, Qasim Ibrahim, has been nominated as their presidential candidate.
Sign In