2013 alliance with MDA successful, hopeful of coalition: PPM

PPM has said that the coalition between PPM and MDA in 2013 has been very successful and therefore, it is highly expected that the MDA will accept the invitation to work together with PPM in the upcoming presidential elections and form an alliance.

At the request of jailed former president and opposition party's presidential candidate Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, PPM invited MDA to form an alliance and the talks began on Thursday. In the meeting held this evening:

Speaking to reporters after the first round of talks on forming the coalition, PPM Vice President and Male City Council member Ibrahim Shujau said that PPM and MDA are "too close to be separated". Pointing out that the MDA and PPM formed an alliance in 2013, Shujau said the MDA was one of the "most important partners" during the party's five-year rule. Therefore, there is a lot of hope that the two parties will work together in the near future.

"The MDA was a very successful coalition partner under President Yameen, so we hope that with God's grace, we will build this coalition, there is a lot of hope on it," Shujau said.

Shujau said the alliance agreement between the two parties was implemented "from gold to gold" during the party's rule and hence he believed the party would have the confidence of MDA.

MDA vice-president Mauroof also said that the party had entered into an alliance with PPM and completed its five years in "perfection". Pointing out that the party's decision not to contest the 2018 elections and the suspension of the party's affairs caused irreparable damage, he said that this was why the party's national council decided to go ahead with an alliance with another party in the upcoming elections.

"That's why we had a meeting with PPM. We had a very constructive discussion. Then they shared with us and we, too, shared our needs and it became the first meeting between the two sides," Said Mauroof, adding that there will be a series of discussion meetings in the future.

Siyam's MDA, which had worked closely with Yameen in the past, has worked in an alliance with PPM since the first round of the 2013 presidential election. The MDA was the only party in the coalition until it won the election and ended its rule. However, in the 2018 elections, the MDA did not form an alliance with PPM.   

On Yameen's direction, PPM decided to start coalition negotiations, but before his conviction in December, he spoke out against forming coalitions in various forums. Yameen, who was barred from contesting the elections due to his jail term, had said at the time that PPM had a "wonderful experience" by forming a coalition and that if a coalition was formed, it would be made for a lack of any other option.

Asked by Atoll  Times about Yameen's remarks against forming an alliance, Shujau said PPM believes that Siyam is a leader who is capable of running for the post of President of Maldives. He said the party had stayed back without any discussion earlier as Siyam had decided to contest the elections then.  Now, they have decided to start talks on forming an alliance as he has decided not to contest the elections. Shujau said the party believes that the MDA carries political weight.

"Therefore, we believe that the MDA has a political stand, and the leader of the MDA has the ability to govern the country. However, he decided not to contest keeping in mind the national interest. That's when our party president decided, our presidential candidate, to first discuss forming an alliance with the MDA," Shujau said.