The Democrats have decided not to endorse either candidate in the presidential election's second round after the deadline set for the ruling party and the main opposition party to accept conditions for the party's support passed on Wednesday.
After securing “kingmaker” status by finishing third in the first round of the presidential election, The Democrats proposed holding a public referendum next week on changing the system of government as a condition for supporting the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
The proposal to the Progressive Party of Maldives-People's National Congress (PPM-PNC) coalition was allocating a share of government posts to The Democrats and implementing some of the party's key policies. Signing an agreement to the effect was also set as a condition.
At a meeting last Monday night, the party's interim council adopted a stand with the votes of 59 members to set a deadline and to not support either candidate if the parties do not agree to the conditions within two days.
Democrats presidential candidate Ilyas Labeeb told Adhadhu that the party's stand remains unchanged.
"There was a decision made by our interim council. That decision was clear, wasn't it, that we would not take either side. We will issue an official statement very shortly," he said.
The party has informed both the MDP and the PPM-PNC of its decision, Adhadhu has learned.
The decision comes after a parliamentary resolution proposed by Ilyas to hold a public referendum on the system of government was passed yesterday with the votes of several MDP MPs.
The Democrats was formed by loyalists of Speaker Mohamed Nasheed who left the MDP after the former president’s loss in the party’s presidential primary in January.
Relations between President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Nasheed, who was MDP president until his departure, deteriorated after the primary.
The system of government was one issue where the pair disagreed. In the public referendum held in 2007 to choose the system of government, Nasheed and the MDP supported a parliamentary system. But after assuming office, President Solih and his loyalists wanted to maintain the presidential system.
None of the candidates managed to win more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round of the presidential election on September 9. PNC candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu emerged as the frontrunner with 101,635 votes (46 percent) as President Solih trailed with 86,161 votes (39 percent).
The Democrats candidate Ilyas Labeeb came third with 15,839 votes, making the party’s support crucial for winning the run-off on September 30.
