Former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader and Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has said that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will face an embarrassing defeat in the upcoming presidential election this year.
During a campaign rally held at Addu Atoll Feydhoo on Saturday evening, July 29, former President Mohamed Nasheed made a statement endorsing The Democrats' presidential candidate, Ilyas Labeeb. Nasheed accused President Solih of actions that contributed to the split within the ruling party over the past five years.
According to Nasheed, while The Democrats currently demonstrate a similar level of energy and commitment as MDP had, he believes that it will not be sufficient for any party to win the elections in the first round of voting.
"In my opinion, this election will see a second round of voting, and I do not doubt that Ilyas will be among the contenders in the second round," Nasheed said.
Nasheed added that the MDP will not be able to secure votes according to its original projection.
"Earlier, I believed that they would receive votes that are not too embarrassing, but now, it appears that this is no longer the case," Nasheed added.
Nasheed said his projection is based on the results that former President Dr. Mohamed Waheed secured during the 2013 elections. Waheed had obtained only five percent of the total votes in the first round, after which he was disqualified from further contention.
Speaker Nasheed further said that the public's behavior towards an elected leader during their term and during voting is different. He added that the public tends not to publicly voice their dissatisfaction but rather expresses it through their votes during elections.