Ghafoor: Statements disrupting internal harmony made amid attempts to arrange for Nasheed and Fayyaz to speak

Statements that undermine the internal harmony of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) were made while attempts were being made to arrange for former president Mohamed Nasheed and former party chairperson Fayyaz Ismail to speak at the party’s victory rally Monday, says the party’s interim chairperson, Abdul Ghafoor Moosa.

The MDP held a victory rally at the Henveiru Artificial Beach in Male’ on Monday, to celebrate the party’s sweeping victory in Saturday’s local council elections. But prominent figures within the party, Nasheed and Fayyaz were absent.

Nasheed and Fayyaz has reportedly been supposed to speak at the rally, but refused to attend after the agenda for the rally was amended in the last minute to exclude them.

There was an empty chair between former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Ghafoor when the rally began, before it got filled up.

In a post on X after the rally, Ghafoor said that the people in the agenda who were scheduled to speak during the rally were he himself, the party’s president Abdulla Shahid, the mayors who won re-election, and the newly elected presidents of women’s development committees, the campaign committee manager, and the referendum committee chair.

އެމްޑީޕީގެ ލޮބުވެތި މެމްބަރުންގެ ސަމާލުކަމަށް!

މިރޭ އެޖެންޑާގައި ހަމަޖެހިފައި އޮތީ ޕާޓީގެ ރައީސް އާއި ޕާޓީގެ ޗެއަރޕާސަން އާއި ސިޓީތަކުގެ މޭޔަރުންނާއި ޑަބްލިއުޑީސީގެ ރައީސުންނާއި ކެމްޕެއިން ކޮމިޓީގެ މެނޭޖަރާއި ރިފަރަންޑަމް ކޮމިޓީގެ ޗެއަރ ވާހަކަ ދައްކާ ގޮތަށް.

މިރޭގެ ޖަލްސާގައި…

— Abdul Gafoor Moosa (@mpgapo) April 6, 2026

Ghafoor said that Nasheed and Fayyaz requested to speak at the rally, but began making statements that undermine the internal harmony of the party while he worked to arrange that.

“I find the statements that were circulated in a manner that disrupts our internal harmony while I was actively working to arrange that opportunity for them, deeply regrettable,” wrote the Hanimaadhoo MP.

He called for cooperation from all MPD members to keep the party united as it enjoys its recent election victory.

The incident highlights the divisions that continue to linger within the MDP, even after Nasheed and his allies returned to the party after their 2023 exit to form the Democrats.

Solih, Nasheed, Shahid and Fayyaz had toured the atolls seeking support for the party during its local council elections campaign. Many MDP members credit the recent election victory to them presenting a united front.