Two candidates contest Adhaalath Party presidency

Two candidates have submitted nominations to contest for the post of President of the Adhaalath Party, the party announced last night.

The nominees are the party’s current Vice President Sheikh Mohamed Shifan and party member Ikram Abdul Sattar. The deadline for submitting nominations expired on Thursday, and only these two applications were received.

Former Home Minister Imran Abdullah, who is the current president of the Adhaalath Party, has held the post for two years. According to party regulations, a president may not serve two consecutive terms, making him ineligible to contest again.

Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed had announced in April last year that he would contest the party presidency. However, his name does not appear on the list of nominees. Shaheem, one of the founders of the Adhaalath Party, rejoined the party on May 2 last year.

Shaheem’s return to the party was supported by Scholars Council President Sheikh Ilyas Hussain, Vice President Abdullah Rasheed, and Scholars Council members Sheikh Mohamed Aneel and Dr Iyaz Abdul Latheef.

Sheikh Mohamed Shifan holds a degree in judiciary from the Islamic University of Madinah and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Maldives Business School.

According to the party, eligibility criteria for contesting the presidency include being a registered party member as of the announcement date, having served at least two years in one of the party’s councils, and being familiar with party regulations.

As more than one candidate is contesting, a secret ballot will be held on the 31st of this month. The vote will be conducted using an electronic voting system, the party said.