Pres denies role in parliament candidate disqualification
While Ushama was making these allegations, the President listened to her grievances for a couple of minutes, as seen in the video.
By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
President Mohammed Muizzu was confronted on the streets of Male on Saturday by a small group of people supporting Hassan Shiyam, whose candidacy was rejected for next month's parliamentary elections, alleging that it was due to the President that he had faced hurdles in contesting the election.
The president denied the allegations, saying it was ‘all lies’.
Hassan Shiyam first submitted his form to contest the PPM-PNC primary for the Central Henveiru constituency. Thus:
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Hassan Shiyam's candidacy was rejected by the leadership claiming he was not eligible to contest the primary
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The ruling party removed the names of many candidates they did not want to contest from the parties, which in turn created some conflict within the ruling coalition
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Later, the party leadership reversed its decision and decided to give all the candidates a chance. However, Hassan Shiyam later did not contest the primary and contested on his own, as an independent candidate
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A private party filed a case in the Supreme Court seeking the annulment of Hassan Shiyam's candidacy due to a decreed debt
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The case was filed in the Supreme Court by the Democrats' parliamentary group leader Ali Azim's nephew, Ilyas Ahmed
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Last Thursday, the Supreme Court quashed Hassan’s candidacy
On Saturday, Hassan Shiyam's supporters poured out their grief to the President as he was on his way to visit the houses of the constituency with PNC primary winner Hussain Naseeh.
The video of the incident went viral on social media. The video shows Hassan Shiyam's supporters making accusations against the President. They alleged that:
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The president was involved in Hassan Shiyam being prevented from contesting the primary
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Hassan Shiyam's supporters have also been removed from the PPM-PNC register
"But we worked so hard to elect you," Aishath Ushama, a resident of the constituency, kept saying in the video, her voice filled with sadness and disappointment as she made the point.
"I took a photo with you, you are a president we elected with love. You are a president we elected with love. But you treated Hassan Shiyam of our constituency very badly”.
Meanwhile, PNC candidate Naseeh was also alongside the President.
"You are with someone who was in the MDP until yesterday. Who is this? Whose support does he have?", Ushama asked, pointing at Naseeh.
Ushama said it was not Naseeh who had worked hard to win the four boxes in the constituency for the President. The work was done by Hassan Shiyam, she said.
“But Dr. Muizzu, how did you treat Hassan Shiyam?” Ushama asked the President.
While Ushama was making these allegations, the President listened to her grievances for a couple of minutes, as seen in the video.
"I am observing my fast today, I swear by Allah, I am telling the truth. What you accuse me of are all lies," was the President’s response to Ushama.
