Ex-lawmaker Yameen Rasheed joins JP

Former parliamentary representative for Velidhoo constituency Yameen Rasheed and several other former State officials have signed with Jumhoory Party (JP).

JP has recently launched a campaign to boost its ranks.

Yameen Rasheed, as well as former vice president of Maldives Broadcasting Commission, Ismail Sofwan signed with JP during a function held at the party headquarters in M. Kunooz last Tuesday.

Yameen Rasheed has most recently been serving as deputy leader of Maldives Third-Way Democrats (MTD) – founded by former Maldivian vice president Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor.

Yameen Rasheed had begun his political career as a member of Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) and had been elected to the Parliament as one of MDP’s candidates. He had been serving as a MDP lawmaker when he defected to then-ruling party Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

JP is Yameen Rasheed’s fourth political party.

Speaking at Tuesday’s function, Yameen Rasheed said he had always found Qasim Ibrahim – the leader of JP – to be an exemplary role model and had always wanted to work together with him in politics.

Praising Qasim Ibrahim further, Yameen Rasheed described him as someone who had never done unjust to another and had always spoke the truth.

“I am joining this party to engage in politics head-on,” said Yameen Rasheed.

He said it was his mission to make JP the number one political party in Maldives.

Several other prominent former lawmakers have also recently joined JP. They include former PPM lawmakers; former Vilimale’ lawmaker Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik, former Inguraidhoo lawmaker Ibrahim Falah, and former Kelaa lawmaker Ali Arif.