Former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has defended appointments made during his administration, saying he governed in accordance with agreements signed by leaders of the coalition that brought the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to power in 2018.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Gaafu Dhaalu Thinadhoo for MDP chairperson candidate Meekail Ahmed Naseem, Solih responded to criticism that his administration gave key positions to members of coalition parties at the expense of MDP supporters.

The issue was a recurring source of debate during Solih's presidency, with some party members arguing that coalition partners were given disproportionate influence in government.

The then Defence Minister Maria Ahmed Didi had also publicly raised similar concerns during the administration.

Solih said the appointments reflected commitments made under the coalition agreement signed before the 2018 presidential election.

"We came to power through a coalition agreement. The leaders of all the parties signed it," Solih said.

According to Solih, the agreement was signed by former president Mohamed Nasheed on behalf of the MDP, Gasim Ibrahim for the Jumhooree Party (JP), Imran Abdulla for the Adhaalath Party and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

He said the agreement outlined how positions in the cabinet, parliament and local councils would be allocated among coalition partners. Solih said he signed the document as the coalition's presidential candidate because the agreement would only be credible if it also carried his signature.

"I governed according to the agreement signed by the leaders. I did not give positions to other parties based on my personal choice," he said.

Solih noted that the coalition agreement also included provisions on parliamentary seat-sharing. However, he said the MDP later decided not to implement that arrangement and instead fielded candidates in all constituencies during the 2019 parliamentary election.

"My role in securing victory in the 2019 parliamentary election was not small. But we set aside an agreement that had been signed by all our leaders," he said.

Solih said that future agreements should be negotiated and signed by individuals trusted by all sides, adding that Meekail was capable of fulfilling such a role.

Reflecting on broader electoral politics, Solih said he did not believe any single party could win a presidential election on its own in the Maldives.

"I am confident about this today. It is not something that can be done by one party alone. We must welcome everyone who wants to develop the Maldives in line with our vision," he said.

Solih pointed to past elections as evidence of the importance of coalitions, noting that former presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Abdulla Yameen had both come to power with the support of political alliances.

He said that while the MDP currently has around 60,000 members, it would need tens of thousands of additional votes to win a presidential election, a goal that could only be achieved by building broader public support around a shared vision for the country.