DRP

The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has said that Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) true colours have been revealed to the people of the Maldives.

This remark from PPM Vice President, Abdul Raheem Abdulla, came following DRP’s decision to back Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the second round of the presidential election.

While speaking at a press conference held at Nasandhura Palace Hotel yesterday, Abdul Raheem said that PPM has claimed in the past that DRP is a ‘branch’ of MDP, and that this has been confirmed to the people of the Maldives today.

“From the beginning, we have been saying that there are unknown goings-on within DRP. DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has connections with GMR. We have always said that DRP is a branch of MDP. Today, this has been revealed to the people of the Maldives. DRP’s true colours have been revealed,” he said.

He said that the fact that DRP has decided to back MDP in the second round raises the question of whether members of DRP campaigned and voted for President Dr Mohamed Waheed in the first round.

He said that the votes gained by President Waheed in the first round was not a result of DRP’s efforts, rather, they were a result of his own efforts; which means that DRP deciding to back MDP does not guarantee any additional votes for MDP in the second round.

He went on to say that it was improbable that Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed gained 95,000 votes in the first round, and that Nasheed will not gain more than 65,000 votes in the second round.

Abdul Raheem said that DRP’s decision to back MDP came from DRP Leader Thasmeen’s family, and not the party’s council. He called on members of DRP including Members of Parliament and council members to back PPM, instead of supporting Thasmeen’s decision.