MDP leadership needs single authority to avoid conflict, Fayyaz says
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Former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail has said the party needs to restructure its leadership and make the chairperson its sole highest-ranking official to reduce conflicts over authority.
Fayyaz made the remarks on Saturday while presenting proposed amendments to the MDP constitution at the party’s congress at the Malé City Council premises.
The morning session of the congress was dedicated to presenting and debating amendments to the party constitution. Fayyaz formally submitted a proposal to revise the constitution in its entirety and explained the reasons behind the changes.
One of the main proposals is to abolish the positions of MDP president and vice-president and designate the chairperson as the party’s highest-ranking official.
Under the existing constitution, when the MDP is in government, the President of the Maldives is considered the party’s highest-ranking leader. Under the proposed structure, the chairperson would remain the party’s highest-ranking official whether the MDP is in government or opposition.
Explaining the proposal, Fayyaz said the existing leadership structure had created conflicts in the management of the party.
“There is a saying we often hear: two swords cannot fit into one sheath,” Fayyaz said. “We believe that this is a political party and that its internal management must be structured in a way that allows the leadership to carry out its work effectively.”
Fayyaz has also proposed expanding the number of deputy chairpersons from two to three.
The MDP currently has deputy chairpersons responsible for administration and finance. The proposed structure would introduce a third deputy chairperson responsible for political affairs. At least one of the three deputy chairpersons would be required to be a woman.
If the amendments are approved, current Chairperson and former President Mohamed Nasheed would become the MDP’s highest-ranking leader for the remainder of his term.
Fayyaz said work on revising the party constitution began while he was serving as chairperson as part of efforts to strengthen the MDP’s internal structure.
He said the proposals were developed following the party’s defeats in the 2023 presidential election and the 2024 parliamentary election, after consultations with members in different islands.
“These amendments were developed as part of the work to determine what needed to change within the party following the MDP’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election and our defeat in the 2024 parliamentary election,” Fayyaz said.
He said he had travelled to several islands and met party members, with the proposed changes reflecting concerns and views raised during those consultations.
Fayyaz said the changes would strengthen the party and improve coordination between its leadership and members across the country.
Former Deputy Speaker of Parliament Eva Abdulla backed the proposed amendments during the debate. She said one of the main reasons for her support was that the changes were structured to increase women’s participation in the party’s leadership.
The proposals received support from a number of delegates during the debate. However, some delegates raised concerns over the proposal to abolish the president and vice-president posts and concentrate the party’s highest leadership role in the chairperson.
The proposed amendments are due to be put to a vote at the congress on Saturday.
