Nasheed invites PPM candidate to join Ilyas as running mate
Nasheed said many people in Maldives want change again.
Founder of The Democrats Mohamed Nasheed on Sunday invited an opposition PPM candidate to be the running mate of The Democrats presidential candidate Ilyas Labeeb.
Parliament speaker Nasheed made the remarks while addressing a rally in Hithadhoo during his current visit to Addu with Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas.
Nasheed has said that the opposition PPM-PNC candidate Abdulla Yameen may not been able to contest this year's presidential election as he is serving a jail sentence.
“I would like to ask the dear members of the PPM and President Yameen and the leaders of the PPM that the opportunity to nominate one of you as a running mate of Ilyas Labeeb is wide open,” Nasheed said.
He said many people in Maldives want change again. The goal has always been to do good governance that benefits the people, improving the living condition of the people and increasing prosperity, he said.
"In today's political reality, at a time when the younger generation is eager to vote, and many people who feel that this country has lost five years of development, many people who are dissatisfied with the MDP, and many people from the PPM. I feel that Ilyas will contest the second round of this election too,” he said.
"And hopefully Ilyas will win this election."
Nasheed's invitation to nominate a PPM candidate comes after a source who led the formation of The Democrats and is familiar with the party's interim council confirmed to Atoll Times on Sunday that deputy speaker Eva Abdulla will be appointed as Ilyas' running mate.
Nominations for the September 9 presidential election are open till 2pm on August 7.
Jumhooree Party (JP) leader and presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim, The Democrats' founder Mohamed Nasheed and MNP presidential candidate Mohamed Nazim have agreed to field a common candidate if the main opposition PPM and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's MRM agree.
