Kinbidhoo MP Mohamed Nashiz has said that the results of the Guraidhoo by-election have shown that Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) does not need to rely on the power and influence of an individual, but can operate on its political principles.
According to Nasheed's close aides, MDP won previous elections by using party president Mohamed Nasheed as its face. Nasheed's stand against the current government has also been described as a loss of support for MDP and a loss for President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the upcoming presidential election.
"We did not win the election by promoting a specific individual or their views during the campaign. Our success was due to the public's wide acceptance of the President's policies," said Nashiz.
MDP won the Guraidhoo seat against opposition Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) without Nasheed's involvement in the campaign, which is a significant achievement as the party had been unable to win the seat for the past 14 years.
Nashiz, who is President Ibrahim Solih's campaign manager, said that during the Guraidhoo by-election, people recognized that MDP is not an individual-centered party.
Nashiz said some members of the "Fikurrege Dhirun" movement led by Nasheed had worked with the PPM's campaign team to ensure victory for their candidate.
Nashiz said that despite the difficulties, MDP won the seat under President Solih's leadership, and that the people like the party's direction.
Nashiz said the victory in the upcoming presidential election will not depend on any particular party member's decision, but rather on the work done by President Solih for the people during the past five years.
In the 2019 parliamentary election, PPM won the Guraidhoo seat with a margin of 246 votes. However, in the recent election, MDP secured the seat with a lead of 242 votes.
Nashiz said that this victory was due to the widespread recognition of the policies and development efforts of the Solih administration to improve the citizens' conditions.
"Everyone I met during the campaign showed happiness, satisfaction and recognition of the government's work. I believe that the state has addressed most of the concerns of the residents of Guraidhoo and the support to the government is visible because of these efforts," Nashiz said.
Nashiz said that MDP's milestone victory in the long history of a constituency with such a huge support base is a positive sign for the upcoming presidential election.
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