Maldives opposition announces new presidential candidate

MALE, July 1 - Maldives main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), has named its chief lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as candidate for the presidential elections after former president Mohamed Nasheed forfeited his candidacy, local media reported Sunday.

At a party congress held Saturday the MDP amended its charter to award the party ticket to Solih.

The MDP congress unanimously voted in favor of Solih as Nasheed's replacement.

Nasheed said on Friday that he had withdrawn his ticket from the Maldives Presidential Elections for the betterment of his party.

He had applied to run for the presidential vote scheduled for Sept 23, but his nomination was rejected by the Elections Commission as he faces terrorism charges.

The Elections Commission said last month that anyone convicted of a criminal offence could not legally contest in a political party's presidential primary, warning that such elections would be annulled.