Hr. Thasmeen says he is ready to compete with Yaameen in a primary
 

Leader of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and Kendhoo MP, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has said that he is not hesitant to compete with the leader of Peoples’ Alliance and Mulaku MP, Abdullah Yaameen in a primary to elect the Presidential Candidate of DRP for 2013 Presidential Election.

Speaking at the ‘Bodufenda’ show on the local TV Channel, VTV, Thasmeen said that he is not the least hesitant to compete in a primary if the Bill on Political Parties is passed in the Peoples’ Majlis.

Commenting on the allegations that Thasmeen is procrastinating the passing of the bill on political parties because if enacted he will have to hold a primary, he said that it is nothing but a blatant lie and that he has no such motives. He reiterated that if the bill is passed he is ready to compete in a primary.

Furthermore, Thasmeen said that he is the leader of DRP and as the leader he was elected as the Presidential Candidate of DRP in the National Congress with the majority of the 1000 representatives voting in favour of him. He also said that he won the post of the Deputy Leader of the party in the first National Congress winning the majority vote. He added that he was even appointed as the Running mate of President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom in the 2008  Presidential Elections with the majority of the party’s council voting in favour of him.

Meanwhile, the news of the fuming internal crisis within DRP has been making headlines in the media for quiet sometime. The anti-Thasmeen movement earlier led by the dismissed DRP Deputy Leader Umar Naseer, which is now taken over by DRP founding leader Gayoom, has been continuously attempting to expose Thasmeen’s leadership lapses and defame him.

However, against the background of all these mounting challenges and the volatile internal clashes, Thasmeen on his part has been assuring his fellow party members and supporters he will remain firm as Party Leader despite the opposition to oust him. Thasmeen is seen to have the support of other strong politicians such as Speaker Abdulla Shahid.

Though it was Former President, DRP founding Leader Gayoom himself who endorsed Thasmeen to be his successor in party leadership, he later declared that the support for Thasmeen has been lost.