Coalition not in any danger of breaking up: Imran

Home Minister Imran Abdulla says that he does not believe that the ruling coalition is any danger of breaking up, at least not before the incumbent president’s term ends.

Imran, leader of Adhaalath Party which is part of the ruling coalition, said this during an appearance on RaajjeTV’s Fala Surukhee programme on Monday night.

While he was questioned on the possibility of the coalition breaking, Imran said that he cannot predict the future but added that he does not does not believe that it will break before President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s five-year term completes.

When further pressed whether Adhaalath Party would join the current opposition given such a circumstance, the home minister reiterated that he "cannot see what the future holds".

The ruling coalition leaders -who rallied behind Solih in the 2018 presidential elections to oust then-President Yameen- had vowed to meet once a month after Solih was elected in September 2018, but has not met since early 2019.

While this led to public concern over the state of the ruling coalition, Imran said that he has also wondered on why these meetings are not being held, adding that he hopes that they resume as per the people’s wishes.

While the Adhaalath Party leader claims that the ruling coalition is not in any danger of breaking up, there are reports that main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) plans to do just that after April’s Local Council Elections. However, the party has not made any such comments.

The ruling coalition comprises of MDP, AP, Jumhooree Party and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s faction of the former ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) – currently the Maldives Reform Movement (MRM). Each party was given a certain quota of political appointments in the Solih administration.

Some of the previous administration’s most senior officials, and jailed former President Yameen’s biggest supporters during his term, have since joined JP.