Dr. Mohamed Shaheem, the ruling party’s vice-presidential candidate, has said that any scholar who joins Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will lose his mandate.

Speaking at a campaign event hosted by Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Dr. Shaheem accused MDP of being a puppet of foreign powers used to spread their influence and undermine Islam in Maldives.

At the event, Dr. Shaheem claimed that Adhaalath Party (AP) Leader Imran Abdulla and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom are fully aware of it.

Despite his claim, Dr. Shaheem was heavily involved in trying to remove Maumoon in 2008 and participated in opposition events held by former President Mohamed Nasheed, the leader of MDP.

Dr. Shaheem also claimed that the main opposition party tried to remove Islamic studies from the curriculum and legalize alcohol in the islands.

While he also claimed that Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the opposition coalition’s presidential candidate, will bring radical changes to the Maldives’ religious policy, Solih has only proposed to hand over ownership of mosques to the city councils.