Ali Azim has officially begun his campaign last night to contest for the post of Male' mayor on a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ticket.

Many members of MDP's National Council and general supporters joined the campaign inauguration event held last night at the Artificial Beach. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Azim announced that his purpose in running for Mayor is to hold the government accountable. He expressed confidence that he would easily win the election with the support of MDP. 

Azim stressed that the MDP is founded on clear principles, foremost among them ensuring the public receives what they are rightfully entitled to. 

Azim has previously served as the MP for Central Henveiru for three parliamentary terms. 

According to Azim, people want to join MDP because the party adheres to clear principles and values. However, at one point, the party began to lose sight of this, he said. This, he said, is what led to people moving away from the party. 

"It won't be easy to hear this. It's not easy even to say this. However, I believe someone needs to talk about this for the sake of this party's future," he said. 

Earlier, Azim also left the MDP and joined The Democrats, the breakaway party formed by former President Mohamed Nasheed following discord between him and former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. 

During his speech last night, Azim also strongly criticized Adam Azim, current Mayor who has announced his bid for re-election. 

Azim said that clearing road drains, planting trees and digging up gravestones is not the extent of what Male' people deserve, asserting that it is time to come out against this approach. 

"We must facilitate Male' people to live a decent life. We must create an environment where people can stay home and live dignified lives with their children. It is definitely amongst the responsibilities of the Male' City Council to ensure that our children are able to play, have fun and live happy lives in contented families," Azim said.