Nasheed cannot go against President Solih as an MDP member

Maldives Democratic Party's (MDP) Deputy Chairperson Ibrahim Waheed has reminded that acting against candidates that has won an internal party election, and acting against the interest of the party is against the party's constitution.

This reminder was made in via Twitter on Monday, after Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed said he will not be working with President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih going forward. During MDP's primary election held on Saturday, President Solih had won the election with 61 percent of the votes. Nasheed said MDP will not be able to win the Presidential election that will be held in September of this year.

Nasheed has accused that President Solih had won the election through vote rigging and that he was going to create a movement within the party called "Fikurrege Dhirun" which means "Reviving an Ideology." He proposed selecting a presidential candidate after the movement is carried out.

While Nasheed has conveyed this message to party members, Deputy Chairperson Ibrahim said it is in article 16. (b) of the party's constitution states that supporting elected candidates within the party and voting for them is a responsibility that falls on all party members.

He said the party's candidate for the September 9 election has been selected by the party's members through a valid election. He said that all party members have to support the candidate and reminded them that is what the party's constitution says.

"People cannot violate the party constitution when it states that," he said.

It is one of the duties of the members to ensure that the party's interests are not compromised, and especially adhering to the party's ethical standards.

After his failure in the party's primary, Nasheed proposed to form party branches called "Fikurrege Dhirun" and select a presidential candidate.

Ibrahim has requested Nasheed to reconsider his decision when the party's general members have already selected a candidate.

"I'm going to ask you to think about it again. I don't think it's possible to change the party's regulations and do as you have said," Fayyaz said.