Not the most ideal time to prosecute Nasheed, says PPM

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has said that now is not the most ideal time to ask the Supreme Court to bar former president Mohamed Nasheed from the presidential elections.

Speaking at a press conference in Nasandhura Palace Hotel today, PPM council member, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dhunya Maumoon exempted her party from the case filed in Supreme Court today to bar the former president. She said that PPM council member and lawyer Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim filed the case in his personal capacity.

“This is not the most ideal time to continue president Nasheed’s trail,” Dhunya said.

However, PPM still believes that Nasheed should be prosecuted, Dhunya said. Maldives can hold credible and competitive elections without Nasheed’s participation, she said.

In answer to a question by Sun, Dhunya said that PPM will urge lawyer Mohamed Waheed to withdraw the case. She did not elaborate further.

Lawyer Mohamed Waheed’s case filed Supreme Court today asks to declare that former president Nasheed is not qualified to stand for the presidential election, based on the argument that the Elections Commission had acted against the law in accepting Nasheed’s candidacy.