Former Vice President Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed has rejoined the main opposition party, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
Jameel, who served as the first vice president under the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen, rejoined PPM in a special function held on June 25. Upon signing to PPM, he has been appointed as a special advisor to the opposition coalition, which consists of PPM and People’s National Congress (PNC).
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Jameel criticised the current government for its policies, especially in relation to the justice system. Stating the perpetrators of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC)’s corruption scandal have not been brought to justice, Jameel said President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has not been able to fulfill any of his pledges with regards to providing justice. He also said it is unacceptable to have former President Abdulla Yameen in prison, and vowed to work towards freeing the former president from prison and bringing him back to power.
Jameel first signed to PPM ahead of the presidential elections in 2013, and became the running mate of former president Yameen, who went on to win the election. His tenure as vice president ended in 2015 after a series of disagreements with him and senior members of PPM culminated in his removal from office through a no-confidence motion initiated by PPM at the Parliament of the Maldives.
Following his removal from office, Jameel self-exiled in the UK and worked with parties in the current ruling coalition to end Yameen’s government. He had widely criticised Yameen for his role in the MMPRC scandal and even called for his imprisonment.
Following the change of government in 2018, Jameel returned to the Maldives and joined Jumhooree Party (JP), one of the coalition partners of the government. He contested under JP’s ticket for the Villimale’ seat in the 2019 parliamentary elections, but failed to secure the seat. Since then, he has been one of the most vocal critics of the government, and has been aligning himself with the opposition once again.