Do not wish for anyone to ever say that I was sworn in unconstitutionally: Solih
Solih, who is also the MP for Hinnavaru constituency, made the statement at Sunday’s parliament sitting
October 28, 2018: President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih arrives at parliament to attend sitting
As parliament debates on an inaugural date for President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, he has said that he does not wish to allow room for anyone to “ever” question that he came into power unconstitutionally.
Solih, who is also the MP for Hinnavaru constituency, made the statement at Sunday’s parliament sitting. He is to take part in the sittings held prior to his inauguration in November.
Parliament is currently debating on whether the president-elect and vice-president-elect Faisal Naseem would be sworn in on November 11 or 17, as the current president had taken oath of office on the latter date; all previous presidents were sworn in on November 11, while there were numerous delays in 2013 due to the annulment of the first round of election.
President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih speaking at Sunday's parliament sitting. Photo: People's Majlis
Speaking at the sitting, Solih said that he wished to be sworn in on a date that is accepted by all, further requesting to finalize a date for the inauguration.
Noting that he does not wish to give anyone the opportunity to say that he had been sworn in unconstitutionally, the president-elect highlighted that parliament making a decision on the matter could lead to such a situation.
Solih said that while issues might not be raised ‘tomorrow or the day the president is sworn in’, that a parliament decision could allow the matter being raised elsewhere ‘someday’, and added that he does not wish for this to happen.
While Solih has been a member of parliament since the age of 30, he said that the day he leaves parliament ‘will be one of the saddest days of [his] life’.
Solih won the 2018 presidential elections against incumbent President Abdulla Yameen, with 58.4 percent of the votes.
While Yameen had initially conceded defeat, he later filed a petition at the Supreme Court seeking to annul the election, accusing the Elections Commission of electoral fraud. However, the country’s top court had ruled that there was no legal basis to annul the election.
