Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi has declared her support for President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for his re-election bid in the 2023 presidential election.
She is the first high-profile figure in the country to back his re-election bid.
In a tweet, Minister Mariya said that she had worked as part of his cabinet from 17 Nov 2018 and found him to be a great team leader, patient, willing to listen with an open mind but decisive when needed.
The Minister went on to say that she fully endorsed the President and support his candidacy in his presidential bid for 2023.
Last week, President Solih had for the first time announced his bid for re-election at a rare news conference with local media.
President Solih had said that he was confident that he can secure the Presidency for the second time but with the backing of a coalition as it would be difficult for MDP to win on its own.
The President's announcement drew criticism from his long-term friend and speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed who insisted that this was not the time to declare one's political aspirations but rather to stabilize the country's economy.
But the endorsement from Minister Mariya, who had been an avid supporter of Nasheed until recently, would only bolster the President's bid and more ministers would most likely follow her example and declare their support for the President.
