Speaker of the People’s Majlis and PNC Chairperson Abdul Raheem Abdulla said tonight that there is no need to hold a primary to determine the candidate for the ruling PNC in the upcoming presidential election, and if President Dr. Muizzu wishes to run for a second term, he will receive the ticket.
Speaking at a press conference after PNC’s internal election, Abdul Raheem said that according to PNC’s constitution, if a member of the party is serving as President in the current administration, they will receive the ticket for a second term without a primary. Therefore, he stated that this is not a situation that requires a primary.
Based on this principle, Abdul Raheem said that President Muizzu would receive PNC’s presidential ticket for 2028.
“Our constitution states that if a person who comes to power on PNC’s ticket wants to run for a second term while in office, they will receive the ticket without a presidential primary,” Abdul Raheem said.
“So, this is not something that requires holding a primary.”
Abdul Raheem said that he is working to make President Dr. Muizzu the first president to complete a second term in the Maldives.
Despite Abdur Raheem’s statement, President Dr. Muizzu has not yet said anything about running for a second term. So far, he has not spoken about this matter at all.
Abdur Raheem has stated that he has no intention of contesting in the upcoming presidential election. He also said that even if he gets the opportunity, he wants to “escape” from it.
“I have never had the intention to run for the presidency of the Maldives. And I won’t have that intention in the future either. I won’t even compete. Even if such an opportunity arises, I will escape from it,” said Abdul Raheem, who works most closely with President Dr. Muizzu.
