MDP to hold informal meeting on The Democrats resolution to merge

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has decided to hold an informal meeting tonight to brief its members about the resolution made by former President Mohamed Nasheed and other members of The Democrats decision to rejoin MDP.

The meeting follows a resolution passed by The Democrats yesterday to dissolve the party and reunite with MDP, in an effort to strengthen opposition forces ahead of next year’s council elections.

While the agenda for tonight’s meeting has not been made public, party officials say the purpose is to share details of the resolution and seek feedback from MDP members on key issues arising from the decision.

The resolution was adopted at an informal meeting of The Democrats National Assembly today. It stated that strengthening the opposition is the best path to winning next year’s local council elections, restoring public trust in the multi-party political system, and ensuring a more accountable government. Therefore, many members believe it is necessary to unify efforts and join the opposition MDP, the resolution said.

Of the 46 members who attended the meeting, only a few reportedly opposed the move to merge with MDP.

The Democrats was formed on July 12, 2023, after a rift emerged between then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and MDP president Mohamed Nasheed during the last presidential election. Nasheed later broke away to establish The Democrats, who contested the 2023 presidential race with Ilyas Labeeb as their candidate. However, several senior figures who were involved in the party's formation rejoined MDP earlier this year.

The decision to dissolve the party comes a day after Nasheed met MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail. Following their meeting, Fayyaz said they held extensive discussions about recent political shifts and the steps needed to address them.

“The country can only be put back on track if all those working for reform come together,” he said.

The internal rift that led to the formation of The Democrats has been widely seen by MDP members as a key reason for the party’s loss in the 2023 presidential election. The split followed tensions between then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Nasheed, then president of MDP. Nasheed later formed The Democrats and fielded Ilyas Labeeb as their presidential candidate.

Nasheed joined The Democrats on 13 July 2023, warning at the time that he would disband MDP.