Sameer in first appearance since quitting JP slams Gasim
Pointing out that the coalition is now witnessing the bitter result of President Solih's leniency, Sameer described JP as selfish.
By
Fathmath Ahmed Shareef
Minister at the President's Office, Ahmed Sameer, who recently quit the Jumhooree Party (JP), indirectly criticised JP leader Gasim Ibrahim, who had decided to contest the upcoming presidential elections separately without supporting President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Sameer, who was a member of parliament from Dhidhdhoo constituency, quit JP at a meeting of the party's council on March 14.
On the same day, he said he had no plans to join any particular party, but that he would go ahead as directed by President Solih.
Sameer was speaking at a rally held at K. Gulhi harbourside on Wednesday evening to kick-start the campaign of MDP's candidate Ibrahim Shaz for the By-election to Guraidhoo constituency.
When they got everything they wanted, they went out and start working against the president and the president says with patience that he will still move forward.
Samir said that President Solih is commanding politics by giving more opportunities to the coalition parties and rivals who work with him. However, it sometimes comes to mind whether it is the right thing to do, he said.
Pointing out that the coalition is now witnessing the bitter result of it, Sameer described JP as selfish and said that the part had decided to leave President Solih and contest the election separately. Thus, he said:
-
Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom's administration withdrew a constitutional amendment aimed at Gasim and set the age to run for president
-
This allowed even a person like Gasim, who was above 60 years of age, to run for power
"What's the result? He got the chance to contest. When they got everything they wanted, they went out and start working against the president and the president says with patience that he will still move forward," Sameer said, without naming Gasim indirectly.
Sameer said that he was aware of a lot of things that happened during the last presidential elections between JP and MDP. There were a lot of those ‘things’ with him from that time, he said.
Sameer, who had defected to MDP after having led the formation of JP, left the party and signed with the Jumhooree Party for the second time after the 2014 parliamentary elections. In Wednesday night's conversation, he also spoke about his political future.
"If I'm on this podium, there will be some kind of questions at the moment, but I don't think it's much of a question. That's because this podium isn't that new to me. It's not that old," Sameer said.
Sameer said that if he joins a party again, he will sign with his "mother's party", MDP.
"I asked her, my mother, which party should I go to. She told me I should come to her party. Then I asked her, which is her party now and she said it was MDP," Sameer said, pointing out that he has not yet signed up for MDP.
Sameer had also said last night that he would go ahead as decided by President Solih.
