Political parties have expressed their lack of interest in forming a coalition with the Jumhooree Party (JP) for the upcoming presidential election. The JP has sent invitations to the main opposition Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), the Maldives National Party (MNP), and the Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) as well as former Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer, and former Attorney General (AG) Dr. Mohamed Munavvaru who plans to contest the election as an independent candidate. However, every party and individual except MRM has declined to be subordinate to the JP. In addition, PPM and MNP have called on JP to support their own election bids while Dr. Munavvaru said he decided to be an independent candidate to avoid joining coalitions, which are harmful to the country.
JP has decided to field a candidate and lead its own coalition for the presidential election despite an invitation from President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to rejoin the ruling government coalition. The JP has held discussions on forming a coalition with Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed, who lost to President Solih in the MDP’s primary election. The JP has decided to award its presidential ticket to its Leader Qasim Ibrahim, who had contested the 2008 and 2013 presidential elections but did not garner enough votes to reach the second round in either election.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has already secured the support of the Adhaalath Party (AP) and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) for the presidential election scheduled to be held on September 9. With the major political parties and individuals declining to form a coalition with the JP, it remains to be seen how the upcoming election will play out. However, with the MDP securing the support of two major political parties, they may have an advantage going into the election.
The lack of interest in forming a coalition with the JP could impact their chances in the upcoming election. Without the support of other major political parties, the JP may struggle to garner enough votes to reach the second round of the election. The decision of the JP to field their own candidate could also lead to a split in the opposition vote, further benefiting the ruling MDP.
The presidential election is set to be an interesting one with the major political parties and individuals expressing their lack of interest in forming a coalition with the Jumhooree Party. With the ruling MDP already securing the support of two major political parties, they may have an advantage going into the election. The decision of the JP to field their own candidate could impact their chances in the upcoming election, and may even lead to a split in the opposition vote.
