The Edition
facebook icon twitter icon instagram icon linkedin icon

Latest

News / MDP

MDP to contest in 2019 parliamentary elections for all constituencies

02 December 2018, MVT 11:53
Former president Mohamed Nasheed addresses MDP's national congress on Saturday. PHOTO: NISHAN ALI/MIHAARU
02 December 2018, MVT 11:53

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), on Saturday, declared its intention to contest for all 87 constituencies in the upcoming parliamentary election.

An overwhelming majority of MDP’s National Congress approved the move with 79 out of 80 voting in favour of running for all constituencies in the parliamentary election which is slated for March.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed stated that he supported the decision because he believed it to be in the best interests of MDP, the largest party in the ruling coalition.

According to the former president, consolidating the recently elected government takes precedence over gaining a parliamentary majority for MDP. Nasheed, who also proposed the initial idea, stated that the party needed to make a timely decision so that necessary preparations could be made.

While this decision has been finalised, it has been alleged that MDP entered a seat-sharing agreement with the remaining coalition parties.

Nasheed himself stated that the leaders of the coalition parties, especially Adhaalath Party and Maumoon Reform Movement, insisted that MDP contest for 35 seats. Nasheed went on to explain his belief that this was not an appropriate number of seats for MDP.

The majority of the members who spoke at the national congress expressed their belief that electing parliamentarians based on a seat-sharing agreement without the input of party members was not the best course of action.

Share this story

Topics

MDP Parliament

Discuss

MORE ON NEWS