President Solih and Maumoon to meet for discussions regarding coalition

Spokesperson of the President’s Office, Miuvaan Mohamed, states President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom are scheduled to meet soon for discussions on forming a coalition for the upcoming presidential election.  

Miuvaan, on Sunday, confirmed to Sun that President Solih and Maumoon will meet sometime today. However, he disclosed no further details.

President Solih’s plan is to contest this year’s election through a coalition comprising of many political parties. In this regard, he had extended an invitation to political parties in the incumbent government coalition to continue the existing coalition for this year’s election. Maumoon’s Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) has yet to make a decision regarding the invitation.

MRM, in an earlier statement regarding President Solih’s invitation, said a decision will be made upon Maumoon’s return to the Maldives. Maumoon returned to Maldives after approximately two months abroad last week.

So far, only Adhaalath Party, which is included in the current government coalition, and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), which has previously been an opposition party, have only agreed to form coalitions with President Solih.

Jumhoory Party (JP), included in the current government coalition, last week decided to contest this year’s presidential election independently. The party, in this trajectory, has now opened applications for its presidential primary.

MDP’s leader, Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed who lost the party’s presidential primary to President Solih, has stated he would not back President Solih in the election. He has been working to work alongside JP for the elections.