Tag: Thasmeen

Thasmeen elected DRP leader by default

Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has been elected as the leader for the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), as no other member of the party stood to compete against him.

The party’s former leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom recently endorsed Thasmeen as the DRP’s leader following his resignation from politics.

DRP member and former president of the Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) Umar Naseer congratulated Thasmeen for becoming leader but the leader of the DRP “must not [automatically] be the DRP’s candidate for the presidential election; it has to be taken by a vote,’ he said.

DRP spokesman Ibrahim Shareef said he had “nothing to say about it.”

“The DRP congress will confirm Thasmeen as the president and it’s done, what else should I say?” he said.

MDP MP Ahmed Easa claimed Thasmeen’s automatic election as leader was undemocratic, particularly after Gayoom’s public endorsement.

“It’s unbelievable that nobody else stood up for the DRP leadership,” he said.

Press secretary of the president’s office Mohamed Zuhair said while the government was happy that the DRP is strengthening its internal democracy, Thasmeen’s election and Gayoom’s endorsement was “a one horse race, just the way it used to be.”

‘That the leader of the DRP was elected without a single person standing against is not very democratic,” Zuhair stated.

Minivan News was unable to reach Thasmeen for comment.

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Thasmeen to run for DRP’s leadership

Vice president of the Dhivehi Rahyithunge Party (DRP) Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has announced that he will be running for the DRP’s leadership, to be decided during the party’s congress in February.

“From the advice I got from many people to serve the DRP, I decided to take part in the election,” he said.

He thanked former president Gayoom for encouraging him to run for the leadership, and said that even though Gayoom had resigned, “the DRP still will be the same.”

He said he expected to face many challenges, “and it will be very difficult to be the leader of the largest opposition party.”

He condemned a statement released yesterday by the president’s office noting the “stories of cruelty”, “allegations of corruption” and “nepotism” of Gayoom’s administration, and said “it is very sad that such a statement was released by the president following the resignation of a respected person like Gayoom.”

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Candidates to submit names for DRP elections by 31 January

Candidates who wish to run in the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) elections must submit their names by 31 January, reports Miadhu.

The party’s congress will decide the leader of the DRP and the party’s candidate for the 2013 presidential elections.

There are rumours that many party members would elect Maumoon Abdul Gayoom as the leader.

Although Maumoon has shown favour for Thasmeen to be elected as the next leader, Miadhu suggests that Maumoon and Thasmeen may run for president and vice president in 2013.

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DRP to hold second congress

The Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) will hold its second congress on 3 February 2010, to elect new  members for party leadership.

According to Miadhu, former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is contesting for party leadership and many believe he will win the elections in 2013.

Miadhu also reports that many within the party believe Maumoon should handover power.

In a previous DRP meeting, Maumoon claimed that Ahmed Thasmeen Ali would be the next leader of the party, Miadhu reported.

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