Now defunct Constitutional Assembly’s former Member Lubna Zahir has said that if elected to office as President, Jumhooree Party’s (JP’s) leader Qasim Ibrahim will take the country’s development to greater heights from the present, in her words, “stagnant position”.

Speaking in a campaign rally for Qasim’s presidential bid on Thursday, Lubna said that the people want a leader who effectively addresses national problems that include questions on independence and sovereignty. She said that the only leader with the required qualities is Qasim.

She predicted that on September 9, voters will cast their ballots, “this time against corruption, loss of national sovereignty and loss of press freedom”.

Also, she believes that the people “want a leader who maintains independence of judiciary and facilitate establishment of justice”.

“So far there has been no great infrastructural developments in the North and the South as the electorate had not given the opportunity to a person like Qasim”, Lubna said speaking on building brand new transshipment ports in Thiladhunmathi and Addu.

She expressed her deep concerns on the fact that the country is mainly dependent on tourism without exploring on other industries for national revenue.

She promised that if elected, the government formed by JP will endeavor into industries besides tourism in economic diversification of the country.