Yameen to file candidacy on Tuesday

The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) states it will file its leader, former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s candidacy for the upcoming presidential election with the Elections Commission (EC) on Tuesday.

In a press statement on Monday, PPM said the candidacy form will be submitted to the EC at 10:00 am Tuesday.

Yameen was sentenced to 11 years in prison for money laundering and bribery in connection to the sale of V. Aarah for resort development on December 25, 2022.

The conviction – if not overturned – will disqualify him from contesting the September 9 election.

However, Yameen has signed his candidacy from behind bars, and choose Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, his top attorney and his running mate in the 2013 election, as his running mate for the upcoming election.

Amid legal questions over his eligibility, the Elections Commission (EC) has stated it will work to make a decision within 24 hours of the submission of his candidacy.

The law grants the EC 48 hours to make a decision regarding candidacy forms. Candidates have the right to contest the commission’s decisions with the Supreme Court – which, too, is required to make a decision within 48 hours.

With the appeal of his conviction stalled, the chances of Yameen being able to qualify for the election is slim. He has asked for PPM’s sister party – the People’s National Congress (PNC), to produce its own candidate as a “backup”.