Given the election is not stolen, PPM has already succeeded to second round: Dr. Jameel

Vice presidential candidate for the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed has said that he is “certain” that his party has already succeeded onto the second round of voting, given that the election is not “stolen” through negligence by the Elections Commission.

Speaking at an event to inaugurate a Fuvahmulah campaign post in the capital Male’, the PPM running mate said that he has travelled to all the atolls and more than 90 islands in the country, and that what he has derived from his experience is that “the vote [for the presidential elections] is for PPM.” With just a little bit of extra effort, PPM can win the election through the first round of voting, Jameel said.

“My concern is that the election maybe stolen due an act [of negligence] by the Elections Commission. If not, I am certain that PPM has already succeeded onto the second round of the elections,” Jameel said.

Jameel warned of plots by rival parties to cheat in the election, whereby casting double ballots on election day. However, he did not state any specific party.

Directing his comments at their rival Jumhoory Party's presidential candidate and local business tycoon Gasim Ibrahim, Jameel described Gasim as a “seytu”, a local term for a vendor at corner shop. He said that the people will be enslaved if they sell their country to a such a man.

Accusing Jumhoory Party of purchasing campaign posts established by other political parties, Jameel said that there is no individual that can spend as much as he wills, and that a person of wealth alone will not have the capability to run a country.

Referring to Adhaalath Party, one of the four members of the Jumhoory Coalition, Jameel said that the righteous are also trying to “buy people’s loyalty.” He said that buying loyalty is a plague and that Adhaalath had forgetting the hadiths of the Prophet Mohamed (P.B.U.H).

“People who bribe, and the people who accept bribes are habitants of hell. I don’t think that the people who’ve been saying kind words remember these hadiths. They’re also trying to see who can be bought, who can be sold,” Jameel said.

He said that the recent union of Maldivian Development Alliance (PPM) with PPM has guaranteed an additional 15,000 votes for the coalition.