PPM, JP begin talks over runoff alliance; JP decision on Wed

The PPM-PNC, which won the first round of the presidential election on Saturday, has started talks to form a coalition with the Jumhoory Party (JP).

Former president and PPM president Abdulla Yameen has advised the PPM not to hold coalition talks with the JP. The PPM has not consulted the JP till Monday evening.

However, the PPM started talks with the JP after the failure of talks with The Democrats, founded by parliament ppeaker Mohamed Nasheed, some senior officials of the PPM-PNC and JP told Atoll Times on Tuesday.

Asked if the PPM was in talks with the JP, PPM-PNC presidential campaign spokesperson Mohamad Tholal said on Tuesday that discussions were ongoing with all parties, and that only those of them that had agreed so far were attending a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

When asked repeatedly whether they were in talks with the JP, Tholal did not deny or affirm.

“Discussions are ongoing with all parties,” he said.

JP spokesperson and state transport minister Ali Solih said he was not aware of any talks with the PPM. He said a decision would be taken at the JP council meeting on Wednesday.

MDP's candidate, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, said on Saturday that talks were underway with political parties to form an alliance after losing the first round of the presidential election and that some parties had got the green signal to form an alliance with MDP.

A JP official confirmed to Atoll Times on Monday that the party has received offers from President Solih to form a coalition.

The JP worked with the MDP to form a coalition government in 2018 but contested separately in this election.

Gasim, who won third place in the 2008 and 2013 presidential elections, finished fifth in Saturday's polls, with just 5,545 votes. That is even lower than that of former home minister Umar Naseer, who contested as an independent candidate.

Gasim's JP, which contested the presidential election for the third time, has more than 22,600 members, according to Elections Commission figures. Therefore, the provisional results show that Gasim did not get the votes of 17,000 JP members.