Male,May 3 (newsin.asia): The National Council of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Wednesday voted to hold party primaries for the 2018 Presidential elections. The primaries are scheduled for May 30.
The Maldivian Presidential elections are expected to be held in September this year.
On May 15, the MDP will open nominations for those members wishing to contest the primaries, an MDP release said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The primaries will be held according to the principle ‘one-member-one-vote’ and voting booths will be placed in locations across the country.
The resolution passed by the National Council was submitted by the party leader Mohamed Nasheed. The resolution proposed that the National Council will decide on the course of action in the event that the party candidate for the Presidential election is prevented from contesting.
Former President Nasheed is expected to be the MDP and possibly a candidate of the united opposition, though according to the government he does not qualify on account of his imprisonment for 13 years on a charge of terrorism.
He is also a fugitive from the law after having gone abroad on medical leave from the prison and not come back.
But Nasheed recently said that he might be allowed to contest “in the 11 th,. hour”, meaning that under under international pressure, President Yameen might allow him to contest. However, at this point of time, this scenario appears to be far fetched.
(The featured image at the top shows MDP leader and former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed)