Meekail Ahmed Naseem, MP for the Galolhu South constituency and a rival candidate for the position of MDP Chairperson, requested today that the case be investigated and action be taken regarding the participation of the party’s Deputy Chairperson (Admin), Ibrahim Waheed (Ibrey), in the campaign of former President Mohamed Nasheed.
In a letter sent to MDP Chairperson Abdul Ghafoor Moosa (Gapo), Meekail stated that he has received complaints about Ibrahim Waheed’s active participation in Nasheed’s campaign, noting that photos and videos seen on social media confirm this.
In his letter, Meekail argued that since the person holding the position of Deputy Chairperson (Admin) is responsible for recruiting members to the MDP and managing campaigns, he must remain impartial during the party's internal elections.
"...His support for a candidate contesting in this election and his active participation in that candidate's campaign provides an advantage to the candidate he supports that other candidates do not receive, leading to a loss of the election's integrity," Meekail said in the letter.
Meekail expressed concern, stating that this infringes upon the rights of general members who support other candidates and constitutes a major injustice against them.
According to Meekail, since the election to select the MDP Chairperson is conducted under Ibrahim Waheed's supervision, many general members of the MDP are expressing concern over Ibrahim Waheed's activities in Nasheed's campaign. He added that since this causes general members to question the fairness of the election, it is important to take action on the matter.
"...Therefore, I call upon Ibrahim Waheed, who currently holds the post of Deputy Chairperson (Admin), to step away from the responsibilities of that position for the duration of this campaign, and I very sincerely request that you proceed with this matter in accordance with the party's policies and established procedures," Meekail said.
He further stated that he applied for the position of MDP Chairperson specifically to prevent such things from recurring. Closing the letter, Meekail requested that the issue be investigated and swift action be taken.
Although Ibrahim Waheed was removed from his post earlier this month for allegedly not cooperating with Chairperson Abdul Ghafoor Moosa, the position was reinstated after the MDP's internal stability deteriorated. Along with Ibrahim Waheed, the position of MDP's Legal Director, Ahmed Maaroof, was also reinstated.
