Former President Mohamed Nasheed has stated he remains undecided about contesting in the parliamentary elections.
Addressing the press, the former president, however, pledged that he would remain active in politics, describing the parliament as the axis of political activities. Nasheed opined the multi-party political system is the most vital resource for the development of Maldives and stressed on the need to embed the proper processes of such a system in the country.
Continuing on about the parliament, Nasheed added he knows every Maldivian family and expressed confidence citizens will no longer elect some parliamentarians of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) to represent them at legislative.
When asked if he would be a member of the government formed by Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Nasheed reiterated his belief he should not be part of the government. However, he expressed confidence he would retain his role as an advisor and vowed all his actions would be transparent and would be carried out after consulting the incoming president. He also reiterated he shall do everything in his power to preserve the presidency of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Answering a question posed about the strength of the opposition coalition, the former president said he did not see either himself, the president-elect, Gasim Ibrahim, Imran Abdulla or Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom being cast aside. He added the coalition partners are in clear agreement and that they have agreed on how to proceed in governing the country and even in how to proceed in the event of disagreement.
The former president added the incoming government would have the backing of two former presidents in addition to Gasim Ibrahim and Sheikh Imran who he described as leaders and political philosophers. Nasheed said that coupled with the 30 years of parliamentary experience of the president-elect, would make the incoming government the most capable government, if work is carried out in line with principles and in a transparent manner.
“While we stand at crossroads today, the country’s debt is mounting. It would be a disappointment to see citizens suffer to repay these loans,“ the former president said. Nasheed said one of the priorities of the administration of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih would be to repay the debts, while implementing development.
When asked about the parties that would form the opposition Nasheed said he believed PPM does not belong to the incumbent President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and that PPM is already a coalition partner. Therefore, Nasheed justified the only opposition party would be Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) and added organised political competition should be present in a multi-party democracy. He added that it was mandatory to investigate allegations of theft and fraud.
“In any government I endorse, investigations would be transparent and in line with Islamic and international principles,” Nasheed said.
At the press conference Nasheed reiterated the opposition’s pledge the incoming government would investigate fully the disappearance of journalist Ahmed Rilwan, and the murders of Yameen Rasheed and Dr. Afrasheem Ali.
The former president arrived in Maldives to much fanfare organised by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and was greeted by crowds of supporters who painted the capital yellow.