Maamigili MP Qasim Ibrahim, Jumhooree Party (JP) leader and presidential candidate has announced the party's deputy leader Dr. Ameen Ibrahim as his running mate.
Ameen's appointment as Qasim's running mate was announced at a press conference held at the party's headquarters in Maafannu Kunooz.
Ameen served as transport minister under former President Dr. Mohamed Waheed and former President Abdulla Yameen. The ministry was later dissolved during Yameen's administration.
He was among the opposition politicians who went into exile during Yameen's tenure.
Ameen earned a PhD in business administration while in exile in the United Kingdom. He was also a recipient of a public service award for services to the Dhivehi language.
Qasim's role in presidential elections
Qasim contested the presidential elections of 2008 and 2013 and received 15 percent and 24 percent of the vote respectively.
Qasim did not win enough votes to proceed to the second round in either election. But on both occasions, second-placed candidates endorsed by Qasim won the presidency.
Both President Mohamed Nasheed and President Abdulla Yameen formed governments with the JP as a coalition partner.
Ahead of the last presidential election in 2018, Qasim was in jail along with most other opposition political leaders. Qasim's JP along with the Adhaalath Party and Maldives Reform Movement backed the Maldivian Democratic Party presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
The JP is also part of President Solih's government with JP members among cabinet ministers. Despite JP political appointees remaining in their government posts, the party's council decided to contest the election separately.
At a recent JP council meeting, Qasim proposed an invitation from Solih to renew the coalition for a further five years. But the council maintained its stand to contest the presidential election.
