Yameen urges MDP to strengthen opposition efforts against govt
He said the result could have been stronger had the opposition conducted a more effective campaign and increased voter turnout.
Former President Abdulla Yameen has called on the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to strengthen its role as the country's main opposition party and improve its organisational structure if it hopes to defeat the current administration.
Yameen made the remarks during a rally held by the People's National Front (PNF) on Sunday night.
During his speech, Yameen congratulated MDP candidate Abdulla Sodiq on winning the Hithadhoo North parliamentary by-election held on Saturday. He said the result could have been stronger had the opposition conducted a more effective campaign and increased voter turnout.
According to provisional results released by the Elections Commission, Sodiq won the seat with 1,375 votes, while ruling People's National Congress (PNC) candidate Ahmed Saeed received 1,313 votes.
Yameen argued that the MDP, as the largest opposition party, should play a more active role in challenging the government.
"President Mohamed Muizzu recently said there is no opposition. The official opposition in the Maldives is the MDP. The party has a large membership and many capable people. It needs to organise itself and do more work," Yameen said.
He added that the PNF, despite its smaller size, has contributed to opposition efforts and argued that the MDP should be able to mobilise greater resources and support.
Yameen said the government had committed considerable resources to the Hithadhoo North campaign, including the involvement of senior officials, but was still unable to retain the seat.
He also praised Sodiq's campaign, saying the former Addu City mayor had worked extensively throughout the constituency.
According to Yameen, a stronger voter mobilisation effort could have resulted in a larger margin of victory for the MDP candidate.
"A win is a win," he said. "However, if more people had been encouraged to vote, the margin could have been wider."
Yameen also criticised the ruling party's response to the by-election result. The PNC has described the outcome as a success, noting that the party lost by a narrow margin despite contesting without coalition partners and facing a campaign environment in which former Presidents Mohamed Nasheed, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Abdulla Yameen were all backing the opposition.
Yameen rejected that interpretation, arguing that the government had the advantage of incumbency and access to state resources during the campaign but still failed to retain the seat.
The Hithadhoo North by-election was triggered after former PNC MP Mohamed Sinan lost his parliamentary seat following a court ruling related to an unpaid debt.
With Sodiq's victory, the MDP has increased its representation in Parliament, while the PNC retains its parliamentary majority.
