Ex-President Yameen Advises Against Alliance with JP 

In the lead-up to the second round of the presidential elections scheduled for 30th September, former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has counselled PPM/PNC not to ally with Qasim Ibrahim’s Jumhooree Party (JP).

A source close to Yameen mentioned, “He explicitly instructed [against the alliance]. He expressed no interest in pursuing such a collaboration.”

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In the first round of the presidential elections, PPM/PNC’s candidate, Dr Mohamed Muizzu, secured a lead with 101,635 votes, which translates to 46.6% of the total. On the other hand, MDP’s candidate, incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, trailed with 86,161 votes, accounting for 39.5% of the votes.

JP’s contender, Gasim, however, managed to garner only 2% of the total votes, tallying at 5,460.

When Yameen issued an order not to form a coalition with the JP, some of the most senior people accompanying Gasim were those who worked with Yameen in PPM. They include Ahmed Nihan, Ilham Ahmed, Riyaz Rasheed and JP Secretary General Ali Arif.

Both Dr. Muizzu and President Solih are reportedly in discussions with other political factions in anticipation of the next round.

Meanwhile, Yameen, who is currently serving an 11-year sentence for charges of bribery and money laundering, recently met with his legal team. Post the meeting, senior advocate Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed communicated Yameen’s plea for heightened support and encouragement for Muizzu in the forthcoming electoral round. Dr Jameel, who has previously served as vice president, later took to Twitter stating, “This is a prime chance to liberate the nation and expel foreign troops.”