Maldives: Ex-president Nasheed rejoins his former party

Male, Jun 19 (PTI) Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, along with members of The Democrats, has rejoined the Maldivian Democratic Party, a move welcomed by leaders of the main opposition on Thursday.

After conflicts with another former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Nasheed, who was then heading the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), resigned in June 2023 during the last presidential election and joined The Democrats, a party that was formed by his loyalists in July 2023.

“The MDP members, at an informal meeting of the party's National Assembly held last night, discussed The Democrats’ decision. Almost all members attending the meeting were in favour of welcoming Nasheed and his supporters back into the fold,” news portal Edition.mv said.

Following the meeting, the MDP issued a statement reaffirming its openness to those committed to contributing meaningfully to the country. “The party will continue to work hard with the newly joined members, along with president Nasheed,” the portal said, quoting the statement.

As the largest opposition party, MDP reiterated its commitment to holding the government accountable and safeguarding constitutional rights.

Edition.mv said that The Democrats' National Assembly passed a resolution on Tuesday stating that strengthening the opposition is the best path to winning next year’s local council elections, restoring public trust in the multi-party political system, and ensuring a more accountable government.

Therefore, many members believe it is necessary to unify efforts and join the opposition MDP, the resolution said.

The news portal quoted Solih's post on X to say that he welcomed the decision by Democrats to rejoin the MDP. “The MDP must always strive to uphold Islamic principles, uphold the principles of democracy, and prioritise the interests of the people,” he said.

Meanwhile, several senior figures who were involved in The Democrats' formation, had rejoined the MDP earlier this year, The Edition said.

The internal rift that led to the formation of The Democrats has been widely seen by MDP members as a key reason for the party’s loss in the 2023 presidential election. Nasheed was one of the founders of the MDP and had led it for over a decade.

The development comes two weeks after Nasheed declared his intention to run in the presidential election of 2028.

Local media had reported on June 4 that Nasheed, who also served as the Speaker of the 19th Parliament, “sent a message to several senior members of the main opposition MDP sharing his opinion.” “I'm considering running for President, what do you think? Whichever answer you give won't affect our relationship,” Nasheed was said to have messaged senior MDP members.

Nasheed -- who is termed as the architect of the India-Maldives robust relationship during his term -- is currently serving as the Secretary General of Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), an international partnership of 74 countries highly vulnerable to a warming planet. PTI NPK NPK NPK