Proposal put forth to Qasim to merge JP and PNC

Jumhoory Party (JP)’s leader Qasim Ibrahim, on Monday, shared with the party’s council that he has received a proposal to merge the party with ruling People’s National Congress (PNC).

JP, at the party’s headquarters M. Kunooz, held a council meeting at 2:00pm on Monday afternoon. The council meeting was chaired by the party’s leader Qasim.

A council member from JP told Sun on Tuesday that Qasim, during Monday’s meeting, shared with the council members that he had received a proposal to merge JP with PNC, seeking the opinion of council members on the matter.

“The topic was debated. Almost all members said they did not wish to dissolve JP. Qasim later said the members’ stand was made very clear to him. Even Qasim is not considering dissolving the party,” the member said.

“A vote was not asked. It was just discussed,” the member added.

The member also said Qasim had remarked he had no further political goals to achieve, while noting he was leading the party for the sake of his fellow members.

PNC’s leadership has not responded to calls or text messages from Sun seeking a comment on the matter.

At Monday’s JP council meeting, a committee was also incepted to decide the party’s course of action with respect to next year’s parliamentary election. The committee members are as follows;

• Qasim Ibrahim
• Kendhoo MP Ali Hussain
• Former Transport Minister Aishath Nahula
• Riyaz Rasheed
• Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik
• Mohamed Shihab
• Azleen Ahmed

PPM’s leader, former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom has recently remarked that PPM members need not be transferred to PNC to strengthen the party. He reiterated that PPM and PNC were one.

All administrations that have come to power in the recent years had been backed by JP. However, during this year’s election, JP, which lost in the first round, decided against backing any candidate in the runoff.