The Elections Commission of the Maldives has greenlit the Joint Opposition’s ticket for the upcoming elections by accepting the candidacy of presidential hopeful Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
The commission announced that his candidacy was processed and accepted on Saturday and that a document verifying this has been provided.
Parties in the Joint Opposition held an event on Thursday night to file their candidate’s bid for election in September’s presidential vote.
Hinnavaru MP Solih and Kaashidhoo MP Faisal Naseem are on the Joint Opposition’s ticket, as presidential candidate and vice-presidential candidate, respectively.
They were greeted at the Elections Commission on Thursday night by commission chief Ahmed Shareef.
Solih was named candidate by the Maldivian Democratic Party after the commission stated that their leader, Mohamed Nasheed, cannot contest the ballots. The commission had also threatened to disband the party.
Nasheed, who won the party primaries with over 47,000 votes, had conceded his ticket and said he did so in order to not disrupt the electoral process – as the commission cited the controversial jail sentence against him as grounds for not allowing his candidacy.
Thus far, in addition to MPs Solih and Naseem, other candidates for the upcoming ballots are incumbent President Abdulla Yameen and his running-mate, former Islamic Minister Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed.
The ballots are slated for 23rd September.
