Muizzu picks Faresmaathoda MP Hussain as running mate

The People’s National Congress (PNC)’s presidential candidate, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has picked Faresmaathoda MP Hussain Mohamed Latheef as his running mate.

PNC – the coalition partner of the main opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), decided to contest the upcoming election after the Elections Commission (EC) rejected the candidacy of PPM’s leader, former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom due to his criminal conviction for money laundering and bribery.

Yameen contested the EC’s decision with the Supreme Court, and asked the coalition to produce a presidential candidate from PNC as a “backup.”

The PNC’s senate took a vote to decide its presidential candidate on Thursday.

The Male’ City mayor won the vote against Madduvari MP Adam Shareef Umar with a slim margin of 25-23.

He announced his running mate in a tweet on Saturday morning.

In his tweet, Muizzu described Hussain as “a young, educated and capable public official.”

Meanwhile, Yameen’s running mate, former vice president Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed told the press on Friday that PPM will contest the election, and that Muizzu will only enter the race “in a worst-case scenario.”

PPM has also asked the Supreme Court for an extension to the candidacy filing window – which closes on Monday – so the party can produce another presidential candidate, if necessary.

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 EC rejected Yameen’s candidacy due to his conviction, citing Article 109 (f) of the Constitution, which disqualifies candidates who have been sentenced to over 12 months in prison for a crime, unless it has been at least three years since they have completed their sentence or have been pardoned.

The PPM-PNC leadership had repeatedly asked Yameen to select a presidential candidate from PNC at his own discretion.

However, he declined the request, leaving it to the senate to decide.

Speaking to press after Thursday’s vote, Muizzu said that it remains his greatest hope that Yameen gets the chance to contest the September 9 election.

He also urged greater unity within the PPM-PNC coalition, stating that they were “one team.”