JP to decide on runoff stance this Wednesday

Sun, through reliable sources, has learned that Jumhoory Party (JP) will decide its stance regarding the second round of the presidential elections on Wednesday.

JP’s leader and presidential candidate Qasim Ibrahim met with all his advisors at Sun Island Resort on Monday.

A reliable source confirmed to Sun that the meetings were one-on-one.

JP is scheduled to hold a council meeting for further discussions on Wednesday.

JP – a party of over 23,000 members, won just 5,460 votes in the presidential elections – which was two percent of total votes.

The results are dramatically lower than its performances in the last two presidential elections.

In 2008, JP won 27,057 votes – which was 15 percent of total votes. And in 2013, JP won 48,131 votes – which was 23 percent of total votes. Then president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom, PPM’s presidential candidate, qualified for the runoff that year by beating JP by a slim margin.

JP decided to independently contest the election this year after rejecting an invitation extended by MDP’s candidate President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to form a coalition.

After failing to qualify for the runoff, the party is now faced with the decision to either form a coalition with President Solih or opposition PPM-PNC’s candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu – or refrain from choosing either side.

However, the jailed opposition leader, former president Yameen, through a note, instructed the opposition PPM-PNC coalition’s leadership against holding coalition discussions with JP for the second round.