Pres issues formal invitation to coalition partners for re-election bid

MDP’s presidential candidate, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, has written a letter to coalition partners to stay together in this year's presidential election.

President Solih, who was officially given the party's presidential ticket on Friday night, has been authorised by the party's national council to form an alliance. The national assembly passed the measure on Wednesday night. With this, the president has initiated talks to form an alliance.

A senior government official told Atoll Times this evening that the President has written a letter to senior leaders of the three parties in the ruling coalition with MDP. He confirmed that the president had invited them to come together for the presidential election.

Jumhooree Party, Adhaalath Party and MRM, which are part of the coalition, are yet to decide on how to deal with the presidential elections.

While the President wrote a letter to the coalition leaders, his close aides met with Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim, which is a major party in the coalition and plays an important role in shaping the results of every presidential election. On behalf of the President, the meeting was attended by his brother and Hulhumale MP Ali Niyaz and MDP Parliamentary Group Leader, Hithadhoo MP Mohamed Aslam.

Aslam told Atoll  Times this evening that the meeting with Gasim was about forming an alliance with MDP for the presidential elections. He said there was no specific proposal in the meeting and no specific issue was agreed upon.

"[But] the meeting was very positive. The discussions are also very positive. He was also very positive," he said, without divulging further details about the meeting.

Jumhooree Party, the country's third largest party, had earlier said that a decision on the presidential elections will be taken by the new council to be elected at the party's national meeting on February 24.