Waheed in debut JP appearance calls on PPM to back Gasim
Waheed praised Gasim at the rally and called him a very close friend.
By
Fathmath Ahmed Shareef
Stating that is high time to bring Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim to power, former President Dr Mohamed Waheed, who recently left PPM and joined JP on Saturday, said that it was time for PPM members to back Gasim in the upcoming presidential elections.
Waheed expressed interest in PPM’s presidential ticket after former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who was given the PPM ticket for the upcoming presidential election, could not contest.
Waheed left the party on Thursday after PPM decided to continue with its coalition party PNC’s candidate Dr Mohamed Muizz. Waheed signed up for the JP at a rally held in Maamigili on Saturday evening.
After signing up to JP, Waheed said he is now with someone he described as “a very close friend”.
"Gasim Ibrahim and I, as I said, we have a very close relationship since 1989. We have been working together politically and otherwise," Waheed said.
"Today I am very pleased to be with him and give him all the help he needs”.
Noting that Gasim was the most helpful person during his two years in power, Waheed said he was very happy that Gasim had contested the presidency.
Waheed expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that he was not given the opportunity to contest the presidential election as a PPM candidate. As such, Waheed said:
-
Different people are saying different things about him leaving the PPM and joining the JP
-
The PPM is a big party, but there is no democracy within it
-
Therefore, the PPM did not give anyone the opportunity to contest the presidential election
-
As a result, where there is no PPM candidate, there is no pink sign symbolising the party either
“Where are the 40,000 PPM members? I would say that if I am on the street, they are on the streets too,” Waheed said.
Waheed said the situation in the country should not look at a particular person but what steps should be taken. He called on the PPM members to think carefully and follow Gasim in the upcoming elections.
'One of the strongest heroes of democracy'
Waheed praised Gasim at the rally. He said the claim that democracy was brought by a particular party and the work of a particular person is not true.
Waheed said:
-
Gasim is one of the strongest heroes of bringing democracy to Maldives
-
He was the first to start the work and took the initiative to form the first political party in Maldives
Maldives's independence and constitutional reforms are now the same as they were during the 30-year dictatorship of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, he said. He said Gasim is one of the best people to hand over the government to reform these issues.
Waheed pointed out that:
-
One of the most difficult issues he faced during his tenure was the GMR issue
-
The biggest revenue earners at the time were MACL, which operates the Velana International Airport; the oil imported to Maldives is also paid for by the revenue generated here
-
When the airport was given to GMR, the company had to be paid MVR 7 million per month instead of receiving any income from it
-
When things got to that point, Gasim and other senior leaders in the coalition advised him to stop it; Gasim was the biggest contributor to the cancellation of the GMR agreement.
