Parties in the government coalition had not come to any agreements on ideology when they committed to political unity, says former president Mohamed Nasheed. 
Nasheed, leader of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), said at a campaign event on Tuesday that the coalition was formed for a political purpose. 
MDP, Jumhooree Party, the Adhaalath Party, and the Maumoon Reform Movement signed cooperation agreement in 2017 to work towards ending the ‘tyranny’ of former president Abdulla Yameen, who was criticised domestically and internationally for undermining the rule of law and targeting political dissent. 
Nasheed said on Tuesday that parties in the coalition have no obligation to appear or act in ideological unity with each other. 
Nasheed defended MDP’s position to contest for parliamentary seats in the upcoming People’s Majlis election against other parties in the coalition. 
The former president said he believes electing parliamentarians is a matter that should be at the full discretion of constituents. 
As such, dividing seats among parties could cause constituents to lose this ability as they may wish to vote for the policies of a party other than which was given a ticket, Nasheed said. 
MDP is contesting for 86 seats in the elections, slated for April 6th.
Want to share a story with raajje.mv? email us at [email protected] or call (+960) 9110099