Jumhoree Party (JP) presidential candidate MP Gasim Ibrahim will individually contest the election rerun scheduled for Saturday (October 19), after failing to agree terms with his rivals on uniting behind a single candidate against the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
JP Policy Secretary Mohamed Ajmal confirmed that talks between Gasim and fellow candidates President Dr Mohamed Waheed and MP Abdulla Yameen of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) had failed to result in an agreement to form an election coalition.
President Waheed announced Friday (October 11) that he would be withdrawing from the election rerun set for October 19, after polls held last month were annulled by the Supreme Court.
Waheed, who came in last place during the now defunct first round of polling on September 7 with 5.13 percent of the popular vote, said he had taken his decision in the “greater interest”of the Maldives, citing concerns about the integrity of the independent Elections Commission (EC).
The election, which saw an 88 percent voter turnout, was unanimously considered credible and democratic by more than 1000 local and international election observers.
Local media has meanwhile quoted the president as saying he would not back back any particular candidate ahead of the vote, despite previously pledging support to the PPM ahead of the cancelled run-off vote that was to be held on September 28.
President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad said he could not officially confirm the president’s stance on not backing a candidate at time of press.
The decision means that just three candidates will contest Saturday’s poll; MDP candidate former President Mohamed Nasheed, Abdulla Yameen of the PPM and Gasim Ibrahim of the JP.
Ajmal said that with Dr Waheed, Yameen and Gasim failing to agree on terms for fielding a single candidate to stand against Nasheed, the JP’s candidate would contest the polls individually along with his running mate Dr Hassan Saeed, as he had during the vote on September 7.
Speaking during a press conference yesterday (September 12), Gasim accused the PPM of being the main obstacle in agreeing to back President Waheed as a single candidate against Nasheed.
“I said the others must choose that path as well. Then it will be President Waheed who will contest elections. [I asked for that] because that is the path for success. However that did not happen. I myself told PPM’s President, [former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom] that I was ready to do that,” he told local media during the press conference.
“When I had proposed this, PPM cannot lie and say [we] did not agree to a single candidate. Politics is dirty, but it shouldn’t be this dirty.”
PPM presidential candidate Yameen has meanwhile told newspaper Haveeru he did not believe the party would receive a sufficient number of votes by uniting behind Waheed. He raised an additional concern, that the incumbent’s running mate during the September 7 vote was Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, adding that it was against the law to change a choice of running mate.
Thasmeen and his party have since pledged support for the MDP during the election.
“We cannot see a way to lawfully change the running mate. There is no way to change Thasmeen as Waheed’s running mate. So even in this sense, from a legal point of view, President Waheed is not a choice,” Yameen was quoted as saying.
The PPM presidential candidate was not responding to calls at time of press.
Cancelled vote
Gasim narrowly finished in third place during last month’s cancelled vote, taking 24.07 percent of ballots cast, with Yameen receiving 25.35 percent of the votes cast.
MDP candidate former President Mohamed Nasheed finished as front runner in the poll, securing 45.45 percent of the popular vote. However, he fell short of the 50 percent ‘plus one vote’ needed to secure the presidency during the first round.
Despite both local and international observers praising the September 7 poll and the conduct of the Maldives’ EC, the Supreme Court ultimately backed concerns raised by the JP over alleged voter irregularities and ordered a rerun of last month’s poll in its entirety.
(0)Dislikes
(0)Related Posts
President Waheed withdraws from October 19 election- President’s coalition expects to be joined by the Jumhoree Party ahead of election
- MDP, PPM, JP host final campaign rallies amidst uncertainties of election day proceeding
- Parties hold final events in capital city Male’ on last day of campaigns
- MDP will sign voter registry ahead of polling, rival parties undecided
- AG’s election intervention constitutional, yet morally questionable: senior legal source
"When thieves fall out...!"
So the JP couldn't get Yameen to stand aside for Gasim. How unfortunate.
If the 'second first round' ever takes place I suggest the Supreme Court judges cancel any holiday plans they may have made. They're going to have a lot of work to do annulling the result and ensuring the 'third first round' can 'legally' go ahead!
Andrew
Gasim is the dumbest idiot in the whole of Maldives.
Everyone is laughing AT him, making a fool out of him. Everyone is milking him dry.
Yet, all this idiot believes the criminals around him, faking their loyalty, just because they get the monetary benefit.
It makes me LOL, even to think that this guy has reached even this far.
Shame on those hyenas that lap their master, while laughing their heads off, when the master turns his back!
What a mess of their own making. This just strengthens Nasheed as the only man who can be President. The coup organisers are morally bankrupt and they have killed themselves in public.
THE WORLD WATCHING!!!
Gasim, pleas don't listen to these idiots. WE the people love you. You are our Man. We need your help. we need more lap tops and TVs. Gasim can you also include gas cookers and washing machines in the next round of elections. WE will even vote for you in 2018, if you can include Wave mobikes in the Villa Free Gift package of 2013. Love and kisses to our Buruma...
Its good to know in advance that JP and PPM are simply INCAPABLE and INCOMPETENT in decision making.
Thanks for letting the citizens know who are you are. You deserve to loose because if you are elected, the indecisiveness and bickering would take the country back by another 10 years.
Allah (SWT) knows best and has ways of revealing the truth. Surely this is a sign not to vote for JP or PPM.
This is a golden opportunity for MDP to paint JP and PPM as incompetent and wins the support of business community because the worst thing for businesses (who really control politics) is indecisiveness and uncertainty.
The fear of indecisive government is a 100 times more powerful card than religion..
Nice to read the comments here, but, remember, folks, the supremo corto is yet to speak from under the bed.
@bryam
"under the bed"? I guess he's looking for his underpants!
The good news from the videos is that he's in no danger of anorexia.
Andrew
I think JP and PPM has dashed every last hope they had to win this election through a vote.
By all estimates Nasheed is very likely to win.
@Andrew R: good one re non anorexic! "love handles" comes to mind;) excuse frivolity but this simply cannot be resisted in these farcical times.
Too much material for jokes, we are all quite spoilt for choice. Suggest PPM and the Great Coalition that wasn't/ but just maybe/maybe not - give up politics (decisions, decisions) and focus on comedy - they would be far more popular that way - and may just earn an honest living - or should they just play pass the parcel while, um, deciding on the next move...?
Nasheed should win just by being the only one with any dignity intact - although hey isn't that what all this fuss is about? All this pulling old tricks out of the same sad hat? Yet most people just aren't as naive as they used to be and not all have dementia - and the old tricks of propaganda ain't working as well as they should (sigh) and now with the whole world watching - the only thing to do is... to make a fool of yourselves. New career route - go for it you silly group of wannabe statesmen and overfed fake lawmaker crones -a travelling comedy show it is - (I would drop the porn though, you just haven't got the bods for it ) - you just went global. Miaow - and out.
Upsetting the Maldivian's is irrelevant. Upsetting the international investors and tourism bodies is something else. Gasim and Yameen have made the headlines around the world in the last month for the wrong reasons and it is self defeating for the country.
Nasheed is the only man fit to be President from the remaining candidates.
Yep, the public will vent their frustrations over all the pain caused by JP and PPM by voting for MDP.
This is the only chance that the public ever gets to vent their anger and frustration. I'm sure they will quite eager to use this opportunity.