MDP welcomes Nasheed and Democrats back to the party

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has welcomed former President and former MDP leader Mohamed Nasheed, along with members of The Democrats, following their resolution to rejoin the party.

At an informal meeting of the MDP National Assembly held last night, members discussed The Democrats’ decision. Almost all members attending the meeting were in favour of welcoming Nasheed and his supporters back into the fold.

Following the meeting, MDP issued a statement reaffirming its openness to those committed to contributing meaningfully to the country.

“The party will continue to work hard with the newly joined members, along with President Nasheed,” the statement read.

MDP also criticized the current administration, saying government actions had gone off course and that the democracy achieved through years of struggle was now under threat.

“In defense of the country, every member of MDP will continue to speak out,” the party said.

As the largest opposition party, MDP reiterated its commitment to holding the government accountable and safeguarding constitutional rights.

The Democrats' National Assembly passed a resolution on Tuesday stating 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.

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.

Before deciding to rejoin the MDP, 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.