Nasheed says support Ilyas in pres runoff

Speaker Mohamed Nasheed said on Sunday that although MDP’s presidential candidate, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and PPM-PNC presidential candidate Dr Mohamed Muizz are contesting in the second round of the presidential elections to be held next Saturday, he still supports The Democrats presidential candidate Ilyas Labeeb, who finished third in the first round of the election.

After the first round of the election, the Democrats led by Nasheed held talks with the MDP and PPM about forming a coalition in the second round. However, the Democrats have decided not to support any candidate in the second round after the two parties refused to agree to the conditions offered to them.

Ilyas, who Nasheed supported in the first round, will not go to the second round. Nasheed was asked which candidate he would support next, at a press conference held at the parliament secretariat on Sunday.

In response to the first question, Nasheed said he supported the Democrats' decision to stay neutral.

Then again, when asked which candidate he would support, Nasheed said he would support Ilyas in the second round. He said the best thing for the candidates contesting the second round is to stay that way.

"If you look, it will be clear what I am saying under Article 111 of the constitution. This stand is not without its merit. I will support Ilyas Labeeb. And I think it's best for MDP as well as for the Maldives to hold on to it," he said.

According to Article 11(b) of the constitution to which Nasheed referred:

While eight candidates contested the first round of the election, only MNP President Mohammed Nazim, who received the second lowest number of votes in the election, decided to form a coalition with a candidate in the second round. Nazim supported PPM-PNC candidate Muizz.

In addition to the JP leader Gasim Ibrahim, those who contested the election independently -- former home minister Umar Naseer and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's son Faris Maumoon -- also decided not to support any candidate.