MDP meeting ends without electing interim chairperson

The meeting held on Friday evening to elect the interim chairperson of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ended without a decision.

Following the sudden resignation of former chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, three names were proposed for the vacant post:

However, only Waheed’s name was formally submitted for voting.

Waheed received 47 votes out of the 96 members present. The party leadership announced that this was not sufficient to appoint him. The announcement led to disorder, with some members shouting that he had been elected.

Aslam’s name had been prepared for submission, but party officials did not allow it to be tabled. They stated that the interim chairperson must be elected by the National Assembly. This led to further disagreement, and several attendees left the venue.

As more members exited, the leadership declared that the meeting had ended without a conclusion due to a loss of order.