PPM “will definitely win”: Mundhu

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has announced it will now contest in every upcoming election, and will be establishing party offices in atolls nation-wide.

Spokesperson for former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and member of PPM’s interim counci, Hussain ‘Mundhu’ Shareef, told local media that although the party “did not contest in elections in order to draft the party’s charter and strengthen internal factors”, the party would now engage in campaigns “and will definitely win.”

PPM did contest in a December 31 council by-election in Shaviyani Atoll Milandhoo this year, however it lost to ruling Maldivian Democratic Party candidate Abdulla Athif.

In November, PPM member Abdulla Mohamed Didi won the mid-Fuvahmulah atoll council seat by running as an independent, as PPM had not completed the registration process. Didi received 52 percent of the votes while MDP candidate Mohamed Abdulla Didi received 46 percent.

Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) received only eight percent of the votes.

PPM MP Ahmed Mahlouf noted that the Kaashidhoo seat in parliament may be vacated pending a ruling at the Supreme Court. Anticipating a ruling on the matter within a month, he said PPM would contest for the seat.

A win for the Kaashidhoo seat would allow PPM to be officially recognised by Parliament–according to Section 29(d) of the parliamentary rules of procedure, which states that “political parties in parliament shall be parties with a member or members that contested in the name of the party and was elected to parliament.” At the moment, the eight MPs who currently identify with PPM officially operate as independents within the Majlis.

PPM’s statement comes a year and a half in advance of the 2013 presidential elections, the first since President Mohamed Nasheed took office in 2008 in the country’s first multi-party elections that marked the end of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s 30-year dictatorship.

While the new government has been primarily challenged by DRP, the opposition appears to be shifting in sizeable strides toward PPM, which is headed by former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Since PPM completed its registration process in late October with 3,600 membership forms submitted to the Elections Commission (EC), it has received 11,000 members directly from DRP, Mahlouf claims. He added that 1,800 had switched over from MDP, 1,000 had joined from other parties, and several thousand more who had not previously belonged to a political party had registered.

“Our first target was to get DRP members to join us,” Mahlouf explained. “Now I believe 90 percent of DRP members support Gayoom, so I expect most will join PPM.”

According to the party registry, however, DRP has only lost approximately 6,000 members since November.

Still, DRP’s current membership is lower than it was before an acrimonious split that saw the Z-faction breakaway in 2010 and go on to form PPM under the leadership of DRP ‘honorary leader’ former President Gayoom.

Meanwhile, PPM is currently facing tense relations with the EC.

“Of the 20,000 registration forms we’ve submitted, 6,000 have been rejected,” Mahlouf complained. “The EC is citing small mistakes like use of English instead of Dhivehi, the way fingerprints are done, whether we have two witnesses for the form, and they will only accept valid national ID cards, not passports or licenses.

“When MDP and DRP registered it was very easy,” he recalled.

Gayoom recently accused the EC of unfair procedures. “We know the state of affairs in the country right now – election results do not turn out the way people vote. So what are we going to do?” he said during a party rally. His statement elicited a condemnatory response from EC while the MDP suggested that his remarks were made because vote rigging was involved during his 30 years as president.

Eyeing the annual general assembly at the end of April, however, PPM has announced it will be campaigning in the atolls to “meet the islanders and raise our membership,” Mahlouf said, adding that the party’s target of 40,000–double it’s current alleged membership of 23,000– “is not a difficult target for us.”

As of January 8, the party registry recorded PPM as the nation’s third largest party with nearly 14,000 members, and 245 pending registration forms. DRP remains second largest on record, while MDP ranks first with upwards of 47,000 registered members.

While there are strong signs that DRP will indeed fade into the PPM ticket, Minivan News asked whether PPM anticipated a highly competitive presidential election in 2013.

“Thasmeen will run [for DRP], but I doubt he’ll received many votes given what happened in Fuvahmulah,” Mahlouf said. “I think it will be competitive and fruitful, I certainly hope for a free and fair election.”

DRP has said it will be addressing comments made by PPM’s Hussain ‘Munduh’ Shareef during a press conference tomorrow.

MDP officials could not be reached at time of press.

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15 thoughts on “PPM “will definitely win”: Mundhu”

  1. Gayoom has never won a fair and free election. Besides he says he wants to run again one day and he says he won't run the next day. The Supreme court may even change their earlier interpretations and deny him. Yaameen says Gayoom cannot run and will not run and he is supporting him. Is this Charlie Mundhu supporting Gayoom or Yaameen.

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  2. PPM has only 11955 members as of today. The numbers don't add up.

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  3. Qayyoom and his ilk seem to be the lesser of two devils. Though they are wayward and do not dress their spouses properly, their iron fists are to be admired and emulated.

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  4. Will the sun rise from the West, just because Mundhu claims it will?

    I claim that PPM will definitely NOT win! I, along with many thousands in this country pray to Almighty Allah, that PPM be relegated to where they belong; in gutter politics and may the family of Kaamineege fade away even faster from the political sphere of the Maldives.

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  5. As of now it is not 100 percent clear who will win the 2013.

    There are 3 power blocks. They are radical liberals (lead by MDP), radical Islamists (lead by Adaalath) and the old regime (who are bickering among themselves)

    Still MDP has the best chance winning if MDP can portray a pro-Islamic image. If President Nasheed performs the Hajj Pilgrimage in time for the election, it would be a sure vote winner.

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  6. There are flying frogs, so perhaps this ugly piglet of Moyamoon may fly in to Moyamoon lap over and over again.

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  7. People like Mubarak and Gadhafi believed that the people loved, worshipped and were behind them too.

    In simple Dhivehi it's called Golhaavun.

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  8. PPM or no PPM. Nasheed's unpopularity will lead to his demise.

    That said, the Addu vote will buoy Nasheed up at the ballots. A few promises here a foundation stone for a development project there and some more votes will come in.

    The reality is however that the Male' vote is up for grabs and no one has yet assessed the direction it will go. Male' is a considerable voting block and coupled with votes from a few other population centers and the sure-fire electorate in the smaller fishing villages, an opposition coalition has a chance of unseating this government.

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  9. Gayoom is now very old. Wonder what his followers will when he good Lord takes him. My questions is will Boh' Mundhu and the gang follow him. PPM does not stand for any ideology or values, instead worship Gayoom. Not good for your soul.

    Peace

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  10. PPM ge Amaa will win I guess. People will not vote any one from grave.

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  11. I think PPM has a good chance to win...the best comedic award..specially for mundhu...are u really disillusion or plain stupid?

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