Agreement over opposition leaders’ proposals

In establishing a united government, all proposals by opposition parties have been agreeable so far, said MDP parliamentary group leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, reports local media Mihaaru.

In a press conference held at Jumhooree Party headquarters Monday, Solih, the chair of opposition single-candidate talks for presidential elections this year, said all four parties in the opposition had proposals and that they would reach a decision soon, as there were no proposed ideas that could cause conflict among them.

“While we are having talks regarding a unity government, you will all believe we will be discussing who would oversee the governance of such a government. We will give that detail. Either way, a government is created after an election. Therefore that will not go without being discussed in a unity government,” Solih said.

The MP for Hinnavaru constituency also said the goal was to improve the government on agreed-upon terms, and not to bring a certain person to power.

In a separate development, former president Mohamed Nasheed shared four recommendations about a single candidate with the MDP national council, according to local media SunOnline.

These are his recommendations:

1. If Jumhooree Party leader Gasim Ibrahim, who has fled the Maldives while serving a three-year jail term on bribery convictions, is allowed to contest in the elections, Nasheed, who is in exile after being sentenced to 13 years in prison on controversial terrorism charges, should be the opposition candidate with Ibrahim as the running mate.
2. If Ibrahim cannot contest, Nasheed should be the opposition candidate with a running mate from Jumhooree Party.
3. If Nasheed cannot contest, Ibrahim should be the opposition candidate with a running mate from MDP.
4. And if Nasheed and Ibrahim cannot contest in the elections, the opposition candidate should be from MDP with a Jumhooree Party running mate.