MDP: No way to differentiate who the “real” government candidates are

Main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), citing there is no way to differentiate whether contestants in the upcoming parliament election are government candidates, has raised the question as to whether who are the “real” government candidates.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday night, Kendhikulhudhoo MP Ahmed Easa who serves as spokesperson for MDP’s parliamentary election campaign cited political parties that are run without regulations and standards as the root cause of such problems.

He said such issues do not arise in MDP, as candidates contesting on the party’s ticket are directly from the party’s “scale”; a reference to the party’s flag.

Easa said some candidates contesting in the parliamentary election claiming to be government candidates, adding there are many of them. 

He alleged that despite some of these candidates campaigning with President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s photo, claiming they are contesting on behalf of PNC – the President, himself, is unaware whether they are government candidates.

Many individuals who lost PNC’s primary are contesting the parliamentary election independently.

They are campaigning claiming they are the “real” candidates. Meanwhile, some government ministers have been captured at campaign events of such individuals.