Jumhooree Party (JP) deputy leader Dr. Ameen Ibrahim has said that the party's leader Qasim Ibrahim is the sole candidate capable of meeting the requirements of the Maldivian public.
During the press conference where Dr. Ameen was announced as Qasim's running mate, the JP deputy leader emphasized that apart from Qasim, no other candidate could adequately address the public's needs. Ameen further said that for Maldives to prosper and attain peace, the public should choose to elect Qasim.
"If there is anyone who can bring hope for the people, it is our candidate. It is our candidate, Qasim Ibrahim," Dr. Ameen said.
He further said that the public should elect Qasim if Maldives wishes to change its current turbulent landscape.
"I do not see anyone who spends from his own pocket to individually solve the needs and plights of the people [besides Qasim], which goes on to show that if anyone faces any difficulty, the first person that comes to mind is Qasim Ibrahim," Dr. Ameen said.
Dr. Ameen praised the JP leader, stating that the welfare of the public will greatly improve under Qasim's presidency.
"We are partnering with Qasim because we have full confidence that public welfare will be significantly enhanced under his leadership."
In addition to Qasim Ibrahim, who previously announced his candidacy for this year's election, other contenders include Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate and current president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Maldives National Party (MNP) leader Mohamed Nazim, The Democrats’ candidate Ilyas Labeeb, and Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) leader Faris Maumoon.
As the Elections Commission (EC) rejected the candidacy of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate Abdulla Yameen due to his criminal sentence, the party had been exploring the possibility of nominating an alternative candidate in case Yameen's disqualification was upheld.
Despite Yameen and his party's appeal against his candidacy rejection to the Supreme Court, the court upheld the Elections Commission's decision on Sunday, August 6.
Earlier, PPM's coalition partner, People's National Congress (PNC), had chosen to contest the election independently. PNC made amendments to its regulations and officially nominated Malé City Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who had recently joined the party, as its presidential candidate.
After Yameen's unsuccessful appeal in the Supreme Court on Sunday, he urged the PPM/PNC coalition to boycott the upcoming elections. However, this plea was rejected by the joint Senate.
