Fayyaz says MDP won't allow Nasheed or Solih to leave party again
Fayyaz said there were many factors behind the split but noted that he did not wish to revisit the details.
Former MDP Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail has acknowledged that the party failed to do enough to resolve internal disputes before the 2023 presidential election, describing it as a mistake and pledging that neither former President Mohamed Nasheed nor former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will be allowed to leave the party again.
Fayyaz made the remarks during a meeting with MDP members in F. Bilehdhoo while campaigning alongside former President Mohamed Nasheed in the party’s chairperson election.
The comments came in response to a question from a party member regarding whether Nasheed would remain in the Maldivian Democratic Party if he were to lose the chairperson election. After Nasheed stated that he would remain in the party regardless of the election outcome, Fayyaz addressed the issue of the division that emerged within the MDP ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Fayyaz said there were many factors behind the split but noted that he did not wish to revisit the details. Instead, he stressed the importance of maintaining unity within the party.
“Just as President Nasheed mentioned, President Nasheed could not dismantle the party. However, the party was severely weakened. That is the reality. We can only stand up again if all of us remain together,” he said.
At the time the dispute between Nasheed and Solih intensified, Fayyaz was serving as MDP chairperson and was one of the senior figures in the party. The disagreement ultimately led to Nasheed’s departure from the MDP and the formation of a new political party, The Democrats.
The split is widely regarded as one of the factors that contributed to the MDP losing the 2023 presidential election.
Fayyaz said he accepts responsibility for not doing more to resolve the dispute at the time.
“Today, I am someone whose political voice carries weight within this party. My mistake back then was that I was unable to push harder to resolve the issues that arose,” he said.
Fayyaz, who later played a role in efforts to reunite the party and facilitate Nasheed’s return to the MDP, said he would work to ensure a similar situation does not recur.
“But now I am telling you with certainty, I will not let President Nasheed or President Solih leave this party ever again,” he said.
Nasheed rejoined the MDP last year after spending nearly a year outside the party. The chairperson election has renewed discussions within the party about unity and efforts to strengthen the MDP ahead of future elections.
