The majority of council members of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) have urged party president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom to gift the party's presidential ticket to incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom without holding a primary.
Mihaaru understands that 29 of the 33 members of the PPM council had signed the letter sent to former president Gayoom to give the ticket to his half brother for the presidential elections slated for 2018.
According to PPM's charter, a presidential candidate must be elected through a party primary which must be held three to six months before the presidential elections.
However, Gayoom in his reply had insisted that he would not violate the democratic values within the party, Mihaaru has found.
President Yameen meanwhile has continued to campaign for his re-election. He has held several conventions to recruit and train party activists to lead his campaign throughout the Maldives.
First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim has also taken the initiative to plan for her husband's re-election campaign just two years into his tenure.
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