All candidates have opportunity to campaign, pres assures

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said on Thursday that all candidates contesting the upcoming presidential election will be given the opportunity to campaign in an open manner.

The president is currently on his presidential campaign tour in Gaafu alifu atoll, and speaking at Kolamaafushi, he said his government would not do the kind of atrocities committed by previous governments.

"Clearly, the full space to campaign, let alone eight, even if 12 candidates contested, there will be that opportunity. You should campaign. You should express your opinion. That space has been given in a very open manner," he said.

President Solih said 18 activists who were involved in the MDP campaign were jailed and deprived of their right to vote a day before the 2018 presidential election.

The president asked the people to vote for him, saying that their decision in this year's presidential election could bring those days back again.

“Today, while we are governing the coalition we are united with, the current coalition, we will not inflict such cruel harassment on our opponents while we are contesting an election,” he assured.

Despite the president's comments, MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail warned last month that he would not allow the opposition to campaign if the MDP's campaign was being interrupted.

"The president is a very humble person. We are not so humble. If they always obstruct our campaign in that way, they will not be able to campaign in a single island in Maldives," Fayyaz had said when opposition supporters disrupted the president’s campaign in Fuvahmulah.

Transparency Maldives had expressed concern over Fayyaz's warning and said the right to campaign and seek support is a right for all candidates.

Police remove banners raised by opposition supporters in rural areas to coincide with the president's campaign tours, and various quarters also raise concerns about the police's use of unreasonable force during opposition protests.