Malé City Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu appoints Faresmaathoda MP Hussain Mohamed Latheef as his running mate.
Following the rejection of former President Abdulla Yameen's candidacy by the Elections Commission (EC), the People's National Congress (PNC) gave the party's ticket to Malé City Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to be its candidate for the upcoming presidential election.
The PNC presidential candidate tweeted that he takes on the responsibility of selecting a running mate and has appointed Hussain Mohamed Latheef for the role, saying that “he is a young, educated, and capable public servant.”
Despite Dr. Muizzu selecting his running mate, the PNC candidate, who is recognized for his allegiance to Yameen, expressed his wish for the former president to have the opportunity to participate in the election before the deadline.
Following the appeal of Yameen's candidacy rejection, a hearing was conducted in the Supreme Court on Friday. After the conclusion of the hearing, the Chief Justice announced that the case would proceed to the delivery of the final verdict.
As Yameen was ruled constitutionally ineligible by the EC and faced the possibility of being unable to compete in the election, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has petitioned the Supreme Court to issue an order allowing the party to nominate an alternative candidate.
PPM said that Dr. Muizzu serves as the opposition coalition's Plan C, and if permitted, their Plan B would involve nominating their own candidate, given that PPM is the largest opposition party.
Dr. Muizzu tweeted that he is a "backup" candidate in case Yameen is unable to compete in the elections, but he expressed his hope that there would be no need to submit the "backup" application.
Yameen's candidacy was rejected by the EC due to his 11-year sentence for convictions of money laundering and graft in the Vaavu atoll Aarah case. While the case has been appealed to the High Court, its hearings have been stalled for some time.
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