Mohamed Nasheed (Anni) on Friday launched his campaign for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential nomination.
But he appeared to avoid mention of the presidency, instead prioritising the issue of a joint candidate to unite the opposition.
With supporters playing to Anni’s established reputation as an activist, Anni himself painted a broad-brush picture of economic reforms with an emphasis on social justice, but insisted his party remains “centre-right”.
“Good Life”
Anni’s campaign, aiming to beat party president Dr Mohamed Munavvar and MP Reeko Moosa Manik to the presidential nomination, will carry the theme “Thaahiru Dhiriulhun” – “Good Life” or “Clean Living”.
The first MDP candidate to hold an official launch, Anni says his slogan encompasses “every family being able to afford ice cream once a month”, through ending the “web of debt” affecting ordinary Maldivians.
“Shops are in debt to the bank, and normal people are in debt to the shop around the corner to the tune of Rf400, Rf500,” he said. “These small debts add up to a total of about Rf50 million – not a huge amount, but this is how votes can be bought.”
The MDP would put in place measures to end this “cycle” within 100 days of dominating government, he says – including a minimum wage, tax reform including income and business profit tax, and an end to “indirect taxation” through import duty.
Government will also be “streamlined”, he says, with numbers of civil servants reduced. But the MDP, like most other parties, has yet to release detailed budget plans.
Rivals
A crowd of several hundred responded enthusiastically as Anni alluded to his dissident history, referring to “the [police] Star Force in metal underpants” as the current government’s “biggest supporters”.
But recognising that to overcome his main rival Dr Munavvar he would need to move outside his traditional support base, Anni had enlisted party member Ahmed Mohamed of Addu atoll – Munavvar’s strongest area – to speak, and also pledged to avoid negative campaigning.
Nevertheless supporters offered occasional digs, with Ahmed Shafeeq MP (Sappé) noting in his speech that “We still haven’t found the key to the black box” – a reference to a past remark by Dr Munavvar that he held the key to the “black box of the Maldivian government”.
Alliance
Anni’s avoidance of referring to himself as president – instead using phrases such as “an MDP-led government of which I am a part” – appeared to leave space for a joint opposition candidate, fuelling speculation over a possible partnership with presidential candidate and “New Maldives” Movement leader Dr Hassan Saeed.
Asked whether he would consider a joint campaign with Saeed, who recently launched his manifesto, Anni said it was “too early to talk about running mates”, but added: “The New Maldives group has a fundamental role to play in the transition from autocracy to democracy.”
Despite turning down invitations to join the MDP, Saeed has also emphasised common ground.
The party will decide whether his Alliance-centric platform can succeed, says Anni, who expresses confidence he can bring the “rank and file” with him.
Talks have already been held on a joint candidate to represent the National Unity Alliance, which represents five political groups and was originally conceived to campaign for an interim government.
But he appeared to avoid mention of the presidency, instead prioritising the issue of a joint candidate to unite the opposition.
With supporters playing to Anni’s established reputation as an activist, Anni himself painted a broad-brush picture of economic reforms with an emphasis on social justice, but insisted his party remains “centre-right”.
“Good Life”
Anni’s campaign, aiming to beat party president Dr Mohamed Munavvar and MP Reeko Moosa Manik to the presidential nomination, will carry the theme “Thaahiru Dhiriulhun” – “Good Life” or “Clean Living”.
The first MDP candidate to hold an official launch, Anni says his slogan encompasses “every family being able to afford ice cream once a month”, through ending the “web of debt” affecting ordinary Maldivians.
“Shops are in debt to the bank, and normal people are in debt to the shop around the corner to the tune of Rf400, Rf500,” he said. “These small debts add up to a total of about Rf50 million – not a huge amount, but this is how votes can be bought.”
The MDP would put in place measures to end this “cycle” within 100 days of dominating government, he says – including a minimum wage, tax reform including income and business profit tax, and an end to “indirect taxation” through import duty.
Government will also be “streamlined”, he says, with numbers of civil servants reduced. But the MDP, like most other parties, has yet to release detailed budget plans.
Rivals
A crowd of several hundred responded enthusiastically as Anni alluded to his dissident history, referring to “the [police] Star Force in metal underpants” as the current government’s “biggest supporters”.
But recognising that to overcome his main rival Dr Munavvar he would need to move outside his traditional support base, Anni had enlisted party member Ahmed Mohamed of Addu atoll – Munavvar’s strongest area – to speak, and also pledged to avoid negative campaigning.
Nevertheless supporters offered occasional digs, with Ahmed Shafeeq MP (Sappé) noting in his speech that “We still haven’t found the key to the black box” – a reference to a past remark by Dr Munavvar that he held the key to the “black box of the Maldivian government”.
Alliance
Anni’s avoidance of referring to himself as president – instead using phrases such as “an MDP-led government of which I am a part” – appeared to leave space for a joint opposition candidate, fuelling speculation over a possible partnership with presidential candidate and “New Maldives” Movement leader Dr Hassan Saeed.
Asked whether he would consider a joint campaign with Saeed, who recently launched his manifesto, Anni said it was “too early to talk about running mates”, but added: “The New Maldives group has a fundamental role to play in the transition from autocracy to democracy.”
Despite turning down invitations to join the MDP, Saeed has also emphasised common ground.
The party will decide whether his Alliance-centric platform can succeed, says Anni, who expresses confidence he can bring the “rank and file” with him.
Talks have already been held on a joint candidate to represent the National Unity Alliance, which represents five political groups and was originally conceived to campaign for an interim government.
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