Yameen Calls to Boycott Presidential Election 2023

Former President and leader of the opposition coalition, Abdullah Yameen, has issued a directive today to boycott the upcoming presidential election. 

This development follows a sequence of events triggered by the Election Commission of Maldives’s (ECM) decision not to accept Yameen’s candidacy due to an 11-year jail sentence, and today’s Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify him as well.

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Today, the bench unanimously ruled that the ECM’s rejection of Yameen’s candidacy was justified, in light of the present circumstances. The Supreme Court clarified that this ruling would stand, effectively extinguishing Yameen’s avenue to contest the election.

In response to this development, the Progressive Party of Maldives and People’s National Congress (PNC) leadership has convened an emergency meeting to strategise the coalition’s approach for the upcoming election. 

Concurrently, the PNC has arrived at a decision to participate in the election, considering the uncertainty surrounding Yameen’s eligibility to contest. 

If Yameen remains ineligible to participate, PNC has opted to nominate current Male’ City Council Mayor Mohamed Muizzu as its candidate. PPM has also indicated its intention to field its own candidate. The party has not yet committed to supporting Muizzu’s candidacy in Yameen’s absence.

As the Maldives approaches its scheduled presidential election on September 9, the intricacies of candidacy eligibility, coalition dynamics, and potential rival candidates continue to shape the political landscape.