Majority Leader of Parliament, Nihan Hussain Manik, has said that he does not support former Presidents running for a seat at Parliament.

Speaking at a press conference held by the Peoples Nationals Congress (PNC), Nihan said that those who have fulfilled the role of the President of Maldives are a respectful and dignified people.

Nihan said that it is better that former Presidents take the respect, honor and benefits of the post they fulfilled and stay at home instead of assuming the role of a member of Parliament.

Nihan said that the Constitution itself dictates that the use of the word “President” when referring to former Presidents. He said that while members of Parliament are referred to as “Honorable MP”, former Presidents have to instead be referred to as “ Honorable President”.

Nihan said that the only “Honorable President should only be the current President of Maldives.

The MP noted that the only former President that has announced his bid for Parliament is currently only President Nasheed. He said that no other President has announced his bid for Parliament at this time.

Nihan said that should Presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Mohamed Nasheed, Mohamed Waheed Hassan and Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom be at Parliament, there will be a total of five Presidents in Parliament -including President of Parliament Qasim Ibrahim. He said that the five Presidents should therefore be referred to as “Honorable President”. Nihan said that the only “Honorable President” at Parliament should be the President of the Parliament alone.

While Nihan has said this, MP of Dhidhoo constituency Abdul Latheef Mohamed has proposed an amendment preventing former Presidents from running for Parliament.

Should the amendment pass through the current Parliament, former President Nasheed will be barred from running for Parliament.