MDP declares support for mandatory presidential primaries
28 Aug 2011, 7:24 PM
The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will back a proposal to make presidential primaries mandatory in the political parties bill, currently at committee stage.
MP Ibrahim ‘Ibu’ Mohamed Solih, MDP parliamentary group leader, announced the decision at a press conference yesterday, two days after the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) declared it would not support the General Goods and Service Tax (G-GST) bill up for a final vote tomorrow.
“We believe that as many members as possible should have a say when a presidential candidate of a political party is determined,” Ibu Solih said. “In our party, we have a general vote among members to select the presidential candidate. When a bill on political parties gets passed, we believe that principle should be included in the law.”
Speaking to Minivan News today, MP Ahmed Mahlouf of the DRP’s Z-faction and spokesperson of the ‘joint opposition parliamentary group’ said that the opposition MPs would “welcome” the MDP’s move.
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