Ilyas Labeeb, the presidential candidate of The Democrats, has stated that he is willing to hold coalition talks with the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the main opposition Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM).
At a press conference, Ilyas said that The Democrats is committed to what is best for the country and has remained steadfast in its work since its inception. He noted that both MDP and PPM have worrying aspects but that The Democrats will make a decision that benefits the country.
Additionally, Ilyas said that The Democrats has not hold talks with other parties on forming a coalition for the second round of the election, and that the decision would be made by the party's leadership. He, however, said that he is open to talks, especially if they are beneficial to the country, party members, and is in accordance with the party policies.
Ilyas was the third most popular candidate in the presidential election. The preliminary results show that Dr. Mohamed Muizzu received 46% while President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih received 39% and Ilyas received 7% of the votes.