MP Siyam's MDA backs Pres Solih's re-election bid

Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), led by Meedhoo MP Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, on Friday voted to support President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's re-election bid in the upcoming presidential election. 

Siyam had earlier announced his decision to contest the polls, but MDA on Wednesday decided not to contest the polls and go ahead with an alliance with another party.

Following MDA's decision, President Solih and the opposition PPM invited MDA to form an alliance. Representatives from MDP and PPM met with MDA leadership on Thursday for negotiations. 

Following the discussions, MDA held a meeting of its council Friday evening. At the meeting held at Champa Central Hotel, Siyam's proposal to support President Solih received the backing of 36 out of the 38 council members in attendance.

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 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.