Sunday
19th May 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has announced they will hold primaries for 2023 Presidential election, after the Party’s ongoing Congress is concluded.
Party’s Deputy Chairperson and Baarashu Constituency MP Ahmed Abdullah reported that the issue of awarding the ticket for next year’s Presidential elections has not been tabled for the Congress.
Even though the Party secretariat is yet to announce anything, some senior members are rumored to be floating a motion to change the Party bylaws. Such a change would allow the Party to award the ticket to incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, without having a primary.
MP Ahmed denied the rumors to this effect. He said the Party would hold primaries as soon as the ongoing Congress was concluded. The ticket for next year’s elections would be awarded to the primary winner.
President Solih and Parliament Speaker former President Mohamed Nasheed have already expressed their interest in contesting the primary.
Nasheed had proposed to the Congress to hold a public referendum over the question of changing the system of governance from a Presidential one to a Parliamentarian system. President Solih had refused this motion, urging Nasheed to revoke the motion.
Members of the Party on President Solih’s faction had already warned that a motion of that nature will be defeated. At the moment, President Solih has the majority control of the Party and Parliament Members of the Party.