Former President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik is reportedly checking with the authorities on any criminal records that they might have against him possibly blocking him from running for elected offices.

Unconfirmed reports say that President Waheed is also checking his records at a time when many other presidential and vice-presidential candidates are obtaining clearances on criminal records from the authorities to substitute PPM’s presidential nominee President Abdulla Yameen if the Supreme Court were to decide on an ongoing lawsuit against the latter.

There are rumors that President Waheed would contest as PPM’s presidential candidate if the Supreme Court decides to block President Abdulla Yameen from running for office this September in the ongoing case. President Yameen filed the lawsuit against the Elections Commission of the Maldives at the Supreme Court upon the rejection of his candidacy last week by the commission. President Waheed or PPM thus far has not commented on the speculations.

However, PPM had said that if the Supreme Court decides against President Yameen in the ongoing proceedings on the rejection of his candidacy by the Elections Commission, the party would field a substitute in the presidential election. According to speculations that circulate around the presidential election, the most likely substitute would be President Waheed.