Nasheed calls for alliance between MDP, Democrats
Some of the individuals involved in forming the Democrats have since returned to the MDP.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed has stated that the most viable political path for the Maldives is an alliance between the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Democrats.
Nasheed made the statement on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday amid ongoing speculation about the internal dynamics of the MDP and the possibility of multiple candidates contesting its next presidential primary.
The Democrats were established by Nasheed and his supporters after he lost the MDP’s presidential primary and faced expulsion from the party due to actions taken against the then MDP-led government. However, the Democrats have not secured any parliamentary seats and have struggled to gain electoral support.
Some of the individuals involved in forming the Democrats have since returned to the MDP.
“I think the best option for the Maldives, the MDP and the Democrats at the moment is to have an alliance between the MDP and the Democrats,” Nasheed said in his post.
Nasheed served as President of the Maldives for three years and led the MDP for nearly 15 years. He was the party’s presidential candidate in the 2008 and 2013 elections. Although he was selected as the MDP’s presidential candidate again in 2018 through a party congress, the nomination was later withdrawn, and Ibrahim Mohamed Solih contested the election instead.
Since Solih assumed leadership of the MDP, tensions between him and Nasheed have increased. Nasheed’s influence in the party has reportedly diminished over time.
His statement supporting an MDP-Democrats alliance comes as discussions intensify around potential candidates for the MDP’s next presidential primary. Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is expected to contest, while MDP Chairman Fayyaz Ismail and MDP President Abdulla Shahid have also shown interest in the party’s presidential ticket.
