The People’s National Congress (PNC) and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), has announced its decision to field a candidate for the upcoming presidential elections. This decision comes after careful deliberations and a series of appeals from the PPM’s leader and presidential candidate, former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom.
The announcement was made following a pivotal meeting of the PNC’s senate on Thursday morning, which saw the participation of 47 senators. The primary agenda of the meeting was to formally decide on the party’s participation in the presidential elections. Additionally, if the decision to contest was reached, the meeting aimed to outline the process for selecting a candidate and make necessary amendments to the party’s Articles of Association to accommodate this decision.
The leadership of the Opposition coalition had previously urged former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom to personally select a candidate who would represent the PNC. However, Yameen deferred this decision to the PNC’s senate, emphasizing the importance of collective input.
Among the potential candidates expressing interest in contesting on the PNC’s ticket are Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the Male’ City Mayor and Deputy Leader of the PPM, and Adam Shareef Umar, the PNC’s Parliamentary Group Leader. These two individuals have stepped forward as potential frontrunners to represent the Opposition coalition in the presidential race.
With the senate’s decision now confirmed, prospective candidates keen on representing the coalition have a window of opportunity to submit their applications. The application submission deadline has been set for 2:00 pm today. The final candidate will be selected through a vote during the scheduled senate meeting at 4:00 pm.
