Jumhooree Party (JP) has officially announced its decision not to endorse any presidential candidate in the upcoming second round of the Presidential Elections, scheduled for 30 September. The announcement came following a council meeting chaired by the party leader and presidential candidate, Qasim Ibrahim, who finished fifth in the initial round of the presidential election held on 9 September.
JP, historically known as the “kingmaker” in Maldivian politics, had secured third place in previous elections. However, the party received only 2.5% of the votes in the first round of this year’s election, ceding its influential position to The Democrats, a party formed by former president and current speaker of the Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed, after splitting from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
Before the council meeting, Qasim and senior JP leaders engaged in extensive discussions with the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People’s National Congress (PNC) candidate, Mohamed Muizzu’s team, as well as with the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and his team.
However, following the council meeting, Qasim made the unexpected announcement that JP had decided not to endorse any presidential candidate in the second round. Instead, the party will maintain a neutral stance, opting to remain silent and shift its focus toward strengthening and expanding the party.