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JP congress elects party president, deputy leaders

Shaina Abdulla
24 June 2018, MVT 09:39
Jumhoory Party (JP) congress held at Paradise Island Resort last Thursday.
Shaina Abdulla
24 June 2018, MVT 09:39

Jumhooree Party (JP), on Thursday, announced that the party will determine a candidate for the upcoming presidential elections by holding a primary election among the party council members.

During a two-day congress at JP leader Qasim Ibrahim’s Paradise Island Resort, the JP party charter was amended to allow the party council to nominate a presidential candidate and running, by a secret vote among the members.

Prior to the recent amendment, the party charter declared the leader of the party as the presidential candidate by default. However, JP leader Qasim Ibrahim is currently rendered ineligible to contest in the presidential elections by the Constitution as he is over the age of 65 and is currently serving a jail sentence of three years.

JP’s charter amendment came amidst struggle between the opposition coalition to nominate a single candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.

Controversy was sparked among the joint opposition after JP leader Qasim’s shadow cabinet announcement, sans main opposition and coalition partner Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

The ratified amendment to the JP charter allows the party to nominate a presidential candidate if the joint opposition fails to nominate a coalition candidate.

JP also elected four deputy leaders during the party congress.

Former state minister Abdulla Ameen was voted highest, with 237 votes, out of all five candidates running for the top post. Former transport minister Ameen Ibrahim (227 votes), former state minister Dr. Hussein Rasheed Ahmed (224 votes) and former state minister Ahmed Fayaz (167 votes) were also elected as deputy leaders of JP.

However, former minister and former deputy leader Abdulla Kamaludeen, was ousted with 106 votes.

Ali Waheed, the former chairperson of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) who had most recently joined Jumhooree Party, was appointed as party president with Qasim’s endorsement.

Ali Waheed had first entered the field of politics as a supporter of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. He was the lawmaker of Thoddoo constituency when he shifted his allegiance to MDP, where he was elected as the party's chairperson.

He had later left MDP over irreconcilable differences with the party's leadership. At the time, he was in self-exile in the United Kingdom where he now resides, after the state levied terrorism charges against Waheed in connection to the major opposition rally held on May 1, 2015.

Former Kelaa MP Abdulla Mausoom was also elected to the newly created post of vice president with 240 votes in favour.

As Qasim is barred from holding any leadership positions at the party due to his conviction, the party council passed to delegate the leader’s power to one of the deputy leaders in order to keep the leader’s post vacant.

In addition to top posts at JP, leaders and deputy leader for youth league and women's league were also elected at the party congress.

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