Meekail criticises Nasheed, pledges to restructure MDP in chairperson campaign
Meekail said he is seeking the position to serve as chairperson and not as a path to higher office.
Meekail Naseem said his bid for the chairpersonship of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is aimed at addressing internal issues within the party and reorganising its structure.
Speaking at a campaign rally titled “For MDP’s Unity” held at the Machangolhi Bar-Jamaluddin junction on Tuesday night, Meekail criticised former President Mohamed Nasheed, who is also contesting for the post.
Meekail said he is seeking the position to serve as chairperson and not as a path to higher office. He said he wanted to secure the role through a vote of party members rather than through appointment by the party’s National Council.
He said he has worked alongside party members for 16 years and intends to seek their direct mandate.
The remarks followed comments by Nasheed that he is seeking the chairpersonship as part of efforts to prepare the party for victory in the 2028 presidential election. Nasheed has also stated that he wants former MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail to lead the government if the party returns to power.
During the rally, Meekail also criticised the practice of taking internal party disputes to court. He said party issues should be resolved through dialogue and internal mechanisms.
He further said he entered the race to speak openly to party members and rejected what he described as attempts to influence members through conflicting statements.
Referring to earlier comments involving Fayyaz, Meekail questioned the consistency of accusing him of removing thousands of party members while later supporting him for national leadership.
Meekail also referred to a recent visit to Ari Atoll, where, he said, a supporter spoke about divisions within the party following Nasheed’s earlier comments about “dismantling” the MDP. He said his campaign aims to address internal divisions and reorganise the party structure.
“I have entered this race to stop these leaks. I am here to listen to the general members and to restructure this party. I will reorganise it,” Meekail said.
The reference to dismantling the MDP relates to internal divisions during the administration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, when Nasheed and several supporters left the party to form The Democrats.
Nasheed rejoined the MDP last year. Despite previous disagreements between Nasheed and Fayyaz, the two are now viewed as being aligned within the same faction.
Nasheed has previously stated that the MDP chairpersonship is currently one of the most important political positions in the country and said the role is necessary to stabilise the party ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
