Siyam backs away from polls; to hold alliance talks with parties

Businessman Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, who had earlier announced that he would be contesting this year's presidential election, has reversed his decision. At the same time, the Meedhoo MP's Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) has decided to support a candidate contesting the elections.

The MDA held a council meeting of the party on Wednesday. The meeting also made calls on the September 9 presidential elections.

The MDA Council decided that, according to the party's deputy leader, Ali Mauroof:

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has also written a letter to the party seeking the MDA’s support, Said Mauroof.

"After discussions on the letter and other parties, we will decide which party to form an alliance with," Said Maurouf, noting that another council meeting would be convened on Friday.

While the MDA, which has 10,488 members, is not part of the ruling coalition, it has not worked with the party that had formed an alliance before it in the last elections. After forming an alliance with Yameen in the 2013 elections, the MDA did not come out openly in the 2018 elections.

President Solih, who was formally given the party's presidential ticket on Friday night, has been authorised by the party's National Assembly to form an alliance, while the president and his close aides are in talks with various parties. Following discussions with the Adhaalath Party, the party decided to maintain its alliance with President Solih.

The president's close aides also met with Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim, and the third largest party in the Maldives had previously said that the decision regarding the presidential election will be taken by the new council to be elected at the party's national meeting this weekend.