Dr. Waheed applies for record check

Former Maldivian president Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, the special advisor to the PPM-PNC coalition, has applied to have his record checked, as the closure of the window for filing candidacy for the upcoming presidential election looms closer.

The Department of Judicial Administration (DJA), which is working through the weekend to process election-related record checks, has confirmed that Waheed has applied to have his record checked.

The move comes after the Elections Commission (EC) rejected PPM’s leader, former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s candidacy due to his conviction for money laundering and bribery.

The opposition coalition had announced last week that it planned of getting the records of all members of the PPM-PNC leadership checked as a backup, as Yameen contests the commission’s decision with the Supreme Court.

Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court on Friday, Waheed said it was unfair for President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to run his re-election campaign, while the opposition leader remains jailed.

He had previously hinted at interest in running for office if Yameen is unable to contest the election.

He said that if Yameen is unable to contest the election, the party would make a decision that is in the best interest of the country.

He said that he was ready to contest the election, if that is what was in the best interest.

Waheed served as the president from February 2012 to November 2013, having succeeded to office following the resignation of former president Mohamed Nasheed, under whom he had served as vice president.