Adhurey: We have Yameen’s blessing to work with any party

PNC’s leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla (Adhurey) says the opposition leader and former Maldivian president, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has given his blessing for the PPM-PNC to make a coalition deal with any political party it chooses for the presidential election runoff later this month.

In a press conference on Tuesday, after the PPM-PNC signed a coalition deal with the MNP, a reporter questioned the opposition coalition about claims Yameen has instructed them against negotiating with certain parties.

Abdul Raheem said the PPM-PNC coalition has Yameen’s consent to work with any political party interested in a coalition.

“We have his blessing to work with everyone who wants to work with us to save this country,” he said.

Adhurey said that the PPM-PNC was engaged in negotiations with the Democrats, the party that placed third in the first round of voting on Saturday, with seven percent of votes.

He said the opposition coalition will reach an agreement with Democrats “soon.”

The Democrats is also engaged in unofficial negotiations with the main ruling MDP.

PPM-PNC’s candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu placed first in the first round of voting with 46 percent, while MDP’s Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the incumbent president, placed second with 39 percent.

However, at a meeting of the Democrats’ interim council on Tuesday, many members said that partnering with MDP was “not an option.”