Gan MP Fayyaz Ismail has said that Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) needs to have a say in Jumhooree party (JP)’s choice of running mate for the Joint Opposition.

While the opposition parties have agreed to back an MDP member as their common presidential candidate and a JP member as the running mate, JP has yet to announce any choice.

Speaking on RaajjeTV’s Fala Surukhee programme on Tuesday night, MP Fayyaz said that MDP elected Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as their candidate with the approval of other parties in the Joint Opposition and so JP’s running mate should also have the approval of the parties.

He said that while the parties will neither influence nor force JP to pick a particular running mate, that the opposition parties, which hold different political philosophies, have come together to achieve the same goals and that MDP would be concerned if JP’s running mate was a hindrance to that goal.

Fayyaz said that the parties have discussed letting the self-exiled opposition leaders, former President Mohamed Nasheed and JP leader Qasim Ibrahim, to run in the election if they were allowed to contest at any point.

Speaking on President Abdulla Yameen’s potential running mate, Fayyaz said that due to the situation with his previous vice presidents, whoever becomes his running mate should have some concerns.

President Yameen’s running mate and his administration’s first vice president Dr. Mohamed Jameel was impeached and has been living abroad since. His second vice president, Ahmed Adeeb, is serving prison sentences totaling 33 years.

JP has recently stated that it will announce its running mate on July 10.