Fuad: MRM faces no obstacle in contesting presidential election

Maldives Reform Movement (MRM), which is currently locked in a court battle with the Elections Commission (EC), faces no obstacle to contesting the upcoming presidential election, according to the commission’s chairman, Fuad Thaufeeq.

The EC decided in May to dissolve the party for failure to bring up its membership to 3,000, as mandated by law.

MRM called the commission’s decision “illegal and corrupt”, and filed a case with the Civil Court over the issue.

The court granted an injunction to freeze the enforcement of EC’s decision in May.

MRM is working on producing the party’s president, Faris Maumoon, as the party’s presidential candidate.

However, its legal battle with EC has put his candidacy into question.

Fuad said that the court has ordered a freeze on the party’s dissolution until it makes a final decision, and that the MRM therefore reserves the right to produce a presidential candidate, as long as the party isn’t dissolved.

“If it isn’t dissolved, then MRM has the right to join the election with a candidate, same as any other political party,” he said.

Faris, a former parliamentary representative and the son of the party’s founder – former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, is the sole contender for MRM’s presidential ticket.

The party is scheduled to hold its presidential primary on Tuesday.

The party has previously stated that Faris will run as an independent candidate, if he is unable to contest on the party’s behalf.

Meanwhile, MRM is also in talks with Jumhoory Party (JP), regarding supporting a common presidential candidate.

Both MRM and JP are running separate presidential campaigns, and have yet to finalize a deal.