Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s decision to nominate MP Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as a presidential candidate is a step towards political reconciliation, says Fisheries Minister Dr. Mohamed Shainee.
While the opposition coalition parties agreed to back a member of MDP as their common presidential candidate, MDP has voted for MP Solih at their party congress on Saturday.
In a tweet on Sunday, Minister Shainee said that Solih meets the constitutional criteria to be a presidential candidate and expressed his hope that an “honest campaigning can start now.”
MDP congress decision to nominate Hon MP @ibusolih as presidential candidate, who meets the constitutional criteria is a step towards political reconciliation. Hope honest campaigning can start now.
— Mohamed Shainee (@mshainee) July 1, 2018
Even though MDP leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed was given the party ticket after winning the MDP primary election, he later relinquished his ticket after the Elections Commission (EC) stated that he would not be allowed to run in the election, since he is yet to serve his prison sentence.
A resolution to vote for Solih as the opposition’s common candidate was submitted at the party congress by MP Ahmed Aslam, Nasheed’s campaign manager.
