Provisional results show Nasheed leading MDP chairperson contest

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has taken an early lead in the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) chairperson election, according to provisional results from more than 100 ballot boxes counted so far.

The election was held on Friday to fill the chairperson position left vacant in November after former chairperson Fayyaz Ismail resigned, citing internal disagreements within the party leadership.

Voting took place from 2:30 pm until 9:00 pm across the country.

Three candidates contested the election: former President Mohamed Nasheed, MDP member Ibrahim Mohamed (Wade), and Galolhu South MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem.

According to provisional figures, results have been received from 116 of the 241 ballot boxes used in the election.

The results show Nasheed leading the race with 6,681 votes, accounting for 69 per cent of the ballots counted so far.

Meekail has received 2,979 votes, representing 30 per cent of the votes counted. The remaining votes were cast for Ibrahim Mohamed.

The count is ongoing, with results from more than half of the ballot boxes still to be confirmed.

Nasheed previously served as president of the MDP. In 2023, following internal disputes within the party, he resigned from that position and announced his departure from politics.

In January 2024, he moved to Ghana to serve as Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF). He later rejoined the MDP and returned to active political campaigning during the local council election period.

In the chairperson election campaign, Nasheed worked alongside former MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail under the banner "Bodu Badhalu" (The Big Change).

Nasheed has said his bid for the chairperson post is aimed at advancing political and governance reforms, including changes to the structure of government. He has also stated that the MDP's objective is to defeat the current administration in the 2028 presidential election.

Final results of the chairperson election are expected once counting is completed across all polling stations.