Former President Mohamed Nasheed and several senior members of The Democrats, a party he founded, have rejoined the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). To mark this reunion, the MDP held a gathering at Sultan Park. Speaking at the event, President Nasheed said he felt a sense of homecoming upon rejoining the party.
“I’m extremely happy to be here tonight. I live in Africa. The joy of returning home, coming back to the island, will never fade from my heart. Thank you very much,” Nasheed said. In his speech, he emphasized that the role of an opposition political party is to provide information to the public. He also stated that the party needs to work towards winning upcoming elections.
Former President Nasheed’s reunion with the MDP comes after he left the party in June 2023, following his unsuccessful bid in the MDP’s presidential primary ahead of the recent presidential election. Subsequently, in July of the same year, Nasheed, along with his close associates who had also left the MDP, formed a new party called The Democrats. However, the party has not achieved significant political success so far and has not even reached the 5,000-member threshold.
President Nasheed, who had previously stated he would dismantle the MDP, is believed by many to have rejoined the party with the intention of securing the party’s presidential ticket for the next presidential election. However, shortly after Nasheed announced his return to the MDP, former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared his intention to run in the presidential election. Notably, President Solih did not attend the ceremony marking Nasheed’s return to the MDP.
Currently, several senior MDP figures are indirectly campaigning to secure the party’s presidential ticket. These include the party’s Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, Party President Abdulla Shahid, and former Vice President Faisal Naseem.
