There is no deal or plan to jointly contesting the upcoming parliamentary elections, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and The Democrats have said.
The Democrats was formed by MPs who left the MDP after internal disagreements damaged relations beyond repair. Recent political campaigns saw heated exchanges between the parties.
However, the two parties announced yesterday that they will work together to bring important amendments to some laws.
MDP Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Saleem, Democrats President Hassan Latheef and the party's Parliamentary Group Leader Ali Azim held a joint press conference to brief the media on Wednesday.
"The differences of opinion between us still exist. We're not trying at all to get married. As there are concerns in this country that both of us have, we're trying to find ways to work together within Parliament [to solve them]," Fayyaz said.
No discussions have taken place on jointly contesting, Democrats Parliamentary Group Leader Ali Azim also revealed. The parties are working together on matters related to the present situation, he said.
"There is no agreement, no intention, of going together to win seats in the coming Parliament. Based on how the 20th Parliament is formed, at that point we will talk again on whether we would work together politically," Fayyaz said.
The current Parliament has 43 MDP MPs and 12 Democrats MPs. All 12 MPs of The Democrats were elected to Parliament on tickets of the then-ruling MDP.
Despite talk of The Democrats joining President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's government, the party decided against it because the President refused to accept its policies, Democrats President Hassan Latheef, MP for Henveiru Hulhagu, said at the press conference.
Responding to a question from a journalist, Hassan said the party proposed a set of policies to the government instead of seeking political posts.
The Democrats proposed its policies to President Muizzu during two meetings before and after he assumed office, but he rejected them on both occasions, Hassan said.
The party had been willing to work together if the government could have accepted its "policies, principles and values," he said, defending previous statements about joining the government.
"For example, foreign policy. We don't accept the government's current foreign policy. That was what we talked about even then. That's what we talked about later as well. The government, Dr. Muizzu, couldn't accept it," Hassan said.
