May consider running for President: Gayoom

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has said that he may consider running for President again, and that he has not yet made a final decision on the matter yet.

In an interview to the Indian newspaper The Hindu, Gayoom said that he has served the country for 30 years and that he feels that the country should now be ruled by other people.

He said that if he decides to run for President, it will be out of compulsion.

Reflecting on his statement earlier that he will not run for office again, Gayoom said that things change very frequently.

“Things change very frequently. So I am keeping my options open,” Gayoom said.

He also said that his party, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) does not have a presidential candidate yet and that it will be decided through a primary. When asked if current President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik stood a chance to be nominated by PPM as its presidential candidate,Gayoom said that “this can only be decided after Dr Waheed joins the PPM.”