A decision on Speaker Mohamed Nasheed's invitation for a running mate from the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) for Democrats presidential candidate Ilyas Labeeb will be up to former President Abdulla Yameen as the PPM's presidential candidate, the main opposition party has said.
Yameen, the Progressive Party of Maldives-People's National Congress (PPM-PNC) coalition's candidate, is serving an 11-year prison sentence. However, Yameen's candidacy form is being prepared and his former vice president Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed has been appointed as running mate.
Asked about Nasheed's offer, Naifaru MP Ahmed Shiyam, the PPM's vice president, said it was still early to lose hope that Yameen's name will be on the ballot.
"Our candidate is President Abdulla Yameen. And now the candidate has chosen the running mate. We remain at work in that spirit," Shiyam said.
Shiyam said Yameen has the authority to make decisions about Nasheed's offers.
"We don't make [the candidate's decisions] on our own. As he is the party's president and the presidential candidate, even if he's serving a jail sentence at the moment, he will decide [whether or not to accept the invitation]," Shiyam said.
"He decided the running mate. He will make decisions about the situation, about the candidacy, as well."
The appeal of Yameen's sentence has stalled at the High Court. Despite constitutional cases lodged twice at the Supreme Court, seeking an order to expedite the appeal, the court did not accept the cases.
The Elections Commission has said that Yameen's candidacy cannot be accepted unless the conviction is overturned.
Despite Nasheed's invitation for a PPM running mate, a Democrats MP confirmed to Adhadhu yesterday that Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla will be named Ilyas' running mate.
