Former Galolhu North MP Eva Abdulla has called for a renewed national debate to address shortcomings in the Maldives’ democratic system.

Speaking at a rally in Galolhu last night alongside supporters of former MDP Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed, Eva said a “second debate” was needed to strengthen democracy and resolve persistent challenges.

“Democracy has been the biggest discussion and project among Maldivians over the past 20 to 25 years,” she said, referring to reform efforts in the early 2000s.

She said those reforms had delivered key gains, including the ability for political parties to hold internal elections in a peaceful and competitive manner.

“That is one of the most fundamental and successful outcomes of that period,” she said.

However, nearly two decades on, Eva said significant issues remain unresolved, particularly in governance and the economy.

“Everyone agrees that there are still things that are not working well. But we have not been able to agree on solutions,” she said.

“The only way to find those solutions is to begin debating them again.”

Eva said reopening national dialogue is central to the “big change” proposed by Nasheed and former Economic Minister Fayyaz Ismail.

“In a democracy, we need another debate. That second debate has been proposed, and we should prepare for it,” she said.

She added that MDP is still the largest political party in the country and carries significant responsibility.

“What the MDP does will affect the whole country. Its decisions must be the right ones,” she said.