Nasheed: Neither Solih nor I should contest 2028

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said the most responsible course for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) would be for both himself and former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to step aside from the 2028 presidential race, allowing the party to unite behind a single candidate.  

His comments came on Monday, shortly after MDP Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail resigned, citing intensifying competition for the party’s presidential ticket. Fayyaz has since declared his intention to contest the primary, a move that has further sharpened the rivalry between the Solih and Nasheed factions.  

In messages shared with a WhatsApp group of current and former MDP MPs, Nasheed reiterated that the party’s defeats in the 2023 presidential and 2024 parliamentary elections stemmed from Solih’s belief that he could win without the support of Nasheed’s bloc. Nasheed argued that repeating such divisions in 2028 would be disastrous, urging members to rally behind one candidate instead.  

The relationship between Solih and Nasheed, once close allies, began to fracture midway through Solih’s presidency. Nasheed, then Speaker of Parliament, pushed for a shift to a parliamentary system that would have allowed him to serve as prime minister, a proposal Solih resisted.  

The split deepened, leading Nasheed and his supporters to form The Democrats, whose central aim was to block Solih’s re‑election bid. Running under the slogan “Anyone but Ibu,” the party succeeded in denying Solih a second term in 2023. However, The Democrats later dissolved, and Nasheed’s team returned to the MDP. Despite the reunion, tensions between the two leaders remain strong.