Gasim will contest election as long as he is alive, JP assures

Jumhooree Party (JP) leader and party's presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim will contest the presidential election as long as he is alive, the party said Thursday.

JP is planning to hold a public rally in the carnival area on Friday to formally hand Gasim the presidential ticket. A press conference was held at the party headquarters, M. Kunuz, on Thursday afternoon to discuss the final preparations for the meeting.

In response to a question from Atoll Times, Gasim's advisor and former MP from Dhangethi constituency Ilham Ahmed said that Gasim would contest the presidential election no matter how much he is taunted. He added that the only way Gasim would not contest the elections was if he was not alive.

Ilham said journalists and politicians should now stop asking questions about Gasim's ability to contest. He asked the people not to doubt it.

"Whether Honourable Gasim Ibrahim is contesting or not is a question that is often raised. Tomorrow night, when the ticket is handed over, will you also ask if he is contesting? Will you even say that after we file his nomination papers for the presidential election, will he contest?," Ilham said.

To a question on whether a recent Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) order halting a planned sale of a lagoon leased to Gasim's business, Ilham said it appeared to have been done due to "administrative lapses". Pointing out that he did not want to comment on the transaction as it pertained to a company owned by Gasim, Ilham accused ACC of issuing the order under the influence of the government.

JP had earlier started talks with MDP president Mohamed Nasheed's Fikuregge Dhirun to prepare a manifesto for the presidential election. However, the talks stalled after Gasim rejected Nasheed's proposal to change the system of governance to parliamentary system.

"We could not agree on the parliamentary issue and we are still in talks with Nasheed. We are also in talks with other parties," Ilham said.

He said that "the party will be prepared for a situation where an alliance with President Nasheed needs to be formed". It is not his only decision and the party's "ideology is that way", he said.

"President Nasheed is a close ally. We still talk... President Nasheed continues to be a close friend of JP even today. We also acknowledge his service to the country," Ilham said.

While Ilham praised Nasheed on Thursday, Gasim lashed out at Nasheed in an interview on last Friday. He said Nasheed did not want anybody but himself to come to power.