Jumhooree Party (JP) has decided to award its presidential ticket to its Leader Qasim Ibrahim.
JP opened the opportunity for its members to contest in the primary election after the council decided to field a candidate as the leader of its own coalition for the upcoming presidential election. Qasim was the only member to have submitted his candidacy for the primary election.
The JP Council has unanimously voted to award the presidential ticket to Qasim as he has the qualifications to be a presidential candidate. Qasim had contested the 2008 and 2013 presidential elections but did not garner enough votes to reach the second round in either election.
JP decided to field a candidate and lead its own coalition for the presidential election at a time when President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih invited the party to rejoin the ruling government coalition. Of the remaining coalition partners, Adhaalath Party (AP) has decided to rejoin the coalition for a second term and the Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) has not yet announced a decision. However, the Maldives Development Alliance has joined the ruling coalition led by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
The presidential election will be held on September 9. Individuals who have officially announced their bid to run in the election are President Solih, JP leader Qasim, and former President Abdulla Yameen. However, Yameen's candidacy is uncertain due to his subsequent conviction for money laundering and accepting bribes. President of Maldives National Party (MNP) Mohamed Nazim and former Attorney General (AG) Dr. Mohamed Munavvaru have also announced they will be running in the election.