After winning the most votes in the first round of the presidential election, the Progressive Party of Maldives-People's National Congress (PPM-PNC) on Tuesday signed a coalition agreement with the Maldives National Party (MNP).
The MNP fielded former defense minister and Dhagethi MP Mohamed Nazim as its presidential candidate and received 1,907 votes (0.8 percent). PNC candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu finished top with 101,635 votes (46 percent).
PPM-PNC acting leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla and MNP leader Nazim signed the coalition deal during an event at Meerumaa, which was attended by MNP MPs Abdulla Riyaz and Ahmed Usham as well as PNC candidate Muizzu and running mate Hussain Mohamed Latheef, MP for Faresmaathoda.
Previous coalition agreements included the share of government promised to coalition partners along with jobs and political posts. But questioned by reporters, Abdul Raheem said the PPM-PNC did not offer anything in exchange.
"The agreement signed today doesn't say this many jobs from companies. The only thing in there is to do all the work possible to elect our candidate Dr. Muizzu in the second round," he said.
Nazim said he agreed to form the coalition without any conditions and that he decided to endorse Muizzu because of similarities in the manifesto policies of both parties.
"I am someone in the national spirit. I am of that spirit because we need to change this government," he said.
Nazim's political career began with PPM and he served as defense minister during former president Abdulla Yameen's government.
But he was arrested over an alleged pistol found in his home, charged with terrorism and sentenced to 12 years. Nazim and his family at the time accused the government of framing him.
He was released from prison in 2018 along with other jailed opposition leaders after Yameen lost the election and the courts overturned their sentences.
