After the Progressive Party of Maldives-People's National Congress (PPM-PNC) failed to field former President Abdulla Yameen as the opposition coalition's candidate, the leadership of both parties have fallen behind PNC candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
Speaking at a press conference at the PPM office last night, PNC president Abdul Raheem Abdulla said that the PPM-PNC leadership have united to start the presidential election campaign. It was President Yameen who decided to go forward with Muizzu, he said.
"Tonight, first of all, I would like to give special thanks to President Yameen. That is because even if he is spending days in jail under this government's dangerous tyranny, we believe the fact that he has placed the people of this country above the harm he is suffering, and provided us the opportunity to compete in this election, is deserving of our gratitude to him," Abdul Raheem said.
The message to PPM-PNC members was that Yameen supports Muizzu and his running mate Mohamed Hussain Latheef. The campaign for the September 9 presidential election was named "President Yameen 2023." Abdul Raheem announced Muizzu and his running mate as the candidates as a brand new announcement.
"These are two candidates endorsed by President Yameen," he said.
The PPM senate decided a few days ago to field a PNC candidate if Yameen was barred from contesting. Following the decision, Muizzu, who was a PPM vice president at the time, switched to the PNC. He won the vote taken by the PNC senate to select a candidate after competing with Maduvvari MP Adam Shareef.
However, the PPM leadership objected to fielding Muizzu as the candidate after Yameen lost a case filed at the Supreme Court to overturn the Elections Commission's (EC) rejection of his candidacy.
Heated debates took place at the PPM senate over a message sent by Yameen with a request to boycott the election. Muizzu submitted his candidacy form to the EC before the senate made a decision and the PPM leadership refrained from clearly endorsing him.
But Abdul Raheem suggested on Tuesday night that Yameen did not intend to boycott the election.
"First of all, if President Yameen was considering boycotting, why would we find another candidate? He thought well in advance and made Plan A, B and C," Abdul Raheem said.
At the press conference with Muizzu at the PPM office, the PPM-PNC leadership said differences of opinion have now been resolved.
When a reporter asked why it took so long, Abdul Raheem said the authenticity of a note sent by Yameen needed to be verified.
"When someone else says that [Yameen] made a phone call and said this, we need to make certain before making such a decision. That's why it was delayed until tonight. Tonight all of our leadership are here because we're certain [beyond any doubt] of President Yameen's decision," he said.
At a rally calling for Yameen's release on Monday night, leadership figures including MPs Ahmed Thoriq (Tom), Ahmed Shiyam, Adam Shareef and Mohamed Saeed had criticized the senate's decision against boycotting the election.
But when asked about their remarks last night, each of the MPs declared their support and readiness to campaign for Muizzu and Faresmaathoda MP Hussain Mohamed Latheef.
