I was dismissed with an intention of harming PPM: Dr. Jameel

Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, who was today relieved from his position as the Minister of Home Affairs has said that the intention of this dismissal was to harm Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) because the current government knows that PPM will win this year’s presidential election.

Speaking to Sun Online today, the former Home Minister said that he does not view as being in the cabinet and simultaneously being the running mate for the presidential candidate of PPM has any restrictions to his responsibilities and that his dismissal was a strategic move to defeat PPM in the upcoming elections.

“I believe that the basis of the matter is to harm and defeat PPM and its members, because they foresee PPm winning the upcoming presidential election. That is the purpose of this step,” Dr. Jameel said.

He said that the judicial system in the Maldives is constituted in way that allows a running mate to simultaneously hold a seat in the cabinet, similar to other presidential and parliamentary systems around the world.

“I believe that according to the judicial system in the Maldives and also reflection on the systems around the world, it does not state that it would result in a conflict of interests. What we see from other countries around the world is that, in both the presidential and parliamentary systems, for presidential candidates and in parliamentary systems, for prime ministers coming out [to compete in the elections],” Dr. Jameel said.

Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed was the Deputy Leader of Gaumee Party, a member party of the President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik’s coalition government. Dr. Jameel was dismissed today for accepting to be the running mate alongside Abdulla Yameen, the presidential candidate of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). The party announced Jameel as the running mate last Thursday.