Two governments will form, if election is held without MDP candidate: Nasheed

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said that if this year’s presidential election is held without a candidate from the main opposition party, MDP, it would result in the formation of two governments.

In an interview given to RaajjeMV from Colombo on Thursday, Nasheed, MDP’s de-facto leader, said the next government would have no legitimacy if the election only allows incumbent President Abdulla Yameen to run.

Two governments have been formed as a result of similar cases in other countries, Nasheed said, adding that President Yameen knew full well that this would ruin the country.

He said that political stability can only be achieved if MDP’s candidate gets the chance to run in the election and that if a nonlegitimate election is held, the opposition has the right to form a new government.

Also calling for a parliamentary system in the Maldives, Nasheed said that no citizen is convinced that the presidential system has worked in the country and that a parliamentary system is more likely to work, as the coalition parties, not individual parties, received majority votes in elections.

Looking at the past two elections, Nasheed said that winning coalition is usually disbanded after the election, resulting in the other parties plotting coups against the government. He said that a parliamentary system would be a solution to this, as it would allow a change in leadership through the parliament.