MDP parliamentary primary from Jan 26-27; nominations open
By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
Main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Saturday announced that it will hold a primary to select its candidates for next year's parliamentary elections on January 26 and 27, with nominations now open.
This was announced at a press conference at the former MDP office, H.Sharasha on Saturday.
"Today, it is open for those who want to contest on party tickets to show their interest. From today till 4 pm on December 25," deputy chairperson Ibrahim Waheed said.
He also said that after considering the interested candidates, primaries will be held among the eligible candidates.
“It may not be the most administratively convenient to run the primary for one day, so we decided to split it into two parts,” he said.
The primary dates have been fixed for the 26th and 27th but the dates are likely to be changed, he said. He reasoned that since he believed the government of President Mohammed Muizzu is 'far from democracy’, MDP may not be allowed to conduct the polls in school halls.
"The schools have already been requested. There is still no indication from this government," he said, adding that if the schools are available, they will be held on the scheduled date.
Regarding the conditions of the primary candidates, he said:
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The qualifications of a Member of Parliament as prescribed in the Constitution
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Criminal record will be checked
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In addition, as in previous primaries, the extent of service to the party, the length of time in the party and the ethical standards set out in the Constitution will be considered
When asked why they are looking first at the interested parties and whether nominations will be a separate process, he said:
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The primary will no longer be open for nominations; Only those who are interested will compete
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The party will 'then invite' interested candidates to contest the primary
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The decision was taken at the National Assembly meeting held in A.A. Ukulhas last month
"[The party's] previous primaries send all the interested candidates to the primary. This time we intend to clean up their records and then go to a primary," Waheed said.
When asked why the National Assembly decided to do so, he said: 'Since the party is currently in opposition, it seems that some constituencies may be decided without going to a primary”.
Atoll Times has learned that MDP's 'interested parties' is a move aimed at minimising the problems caused by the primary.
If the primary is open, everyone who submits their name can participate. The names of all eligible candidates will be on the ballot. Expressing interest does not mean that the person can participate in the primary. Instead, there will be the opportunity for the party to determine constituencies where a single candidate can be nominated without a primary.
Voting in the primary is based on the forms received by the party till Saturday and the party register held by the Election Commission.
The MDP has also started talks with the Adaalath Party (AP) and the Jumhoory Party (JP) to contest the parliamentary elections together.
When asked about the discussions, party spokesperson Anas Abdul Sattar, who attended the press conference, said:
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"We are open today, to all constituencies. However, as you said, the discussions with the AP and the JP in the past will still continue”
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"[The talks] are going very positively. If there is no result in the coming days, we will consider it and make the necessary decisions”
Therefore, in the light of the discussions, it is likely MDP might give some constituencies to the two parties.
“We agreed on how we would announce it,” Anas said.
