Special Advisor to the President Abdul Raheem to contest parliamentary elections

Special Advisor to the President and the chairperson of People’s National Congress (PNC) Abdul Raheem Abdulla (Adhurey) has announced his decision to contest next year’s parliamentary elections.

Abdul Raheem announced his decision to contest for L. Fonadhoo seat via a post on X Monday night, in which he appealed for the full support of the constituency’s residents.

Born to Fonadhoo, Abdul Raheem held the island’s parliamentary seat during the previous two sessions.

Although he contested the election for the ongoing session, Abdul Raheem lost the seat to then-Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s candidate Moosa Siraj.

Siraj left MDP and joined PNC during September’s presidential election. He has recently been appointed the parliamentary group leader of PNC.

Abdul Raheem, who played a senior role in the formation of PNC’s coalition partner, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), left the party to form PNC in 2018. PNC was a party established by former PPM’s leader, and former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom feared losing control of PPM amid disagreements between his brother and founder of the party, former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom.

Abdul Raheem, formerly one of Yameen’s closest aides, had played a crucial role in campaigning for President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s election, PNC's candidate. 

During the transitional phase following President Muizzu's election, Abdul Raheem was appointed Director of Transition. After assuming office, President Muizzu appointed Abdul Raheem as his special advisor. 

President Muizzu had only contested the presidential election after the Elections Commission rejected Yameen’s candidacy due to his money laundering conviction. The decision was later backed by the Supreme Court.

Following the court decision, Yameen initially asked the PPM-PNC coalition to boycott the election, but later rescinded the request following opposition from leaders of the coalition, and endorsed President Muizzu.

But just short of a week into President Muizzu’s administration, Yameen left PPM, and announced plans to form a new party – the People’s National Front (PNF).

Yameen’s aides said he took the decision after he was deliberately sidelined from the coalition.