Ghafoor says he will not resign and insists the National Council must vote on his removal

MDP interim chairperson Abdul Ghafoor Moosa (Gapo) says he will not resign despite a no‑confidence petition signed by 55 members calling for his removal.

The petition, submitted Wednesday by members aligned with former President Mohamed Nasheed, seeks an urgent National Council vote to dismiss Ghafoor from the post. It follows tensions that erupted after Nasheed was not given the opportunity to speak at Monday night’s *Heyvalla Thayyaaru* rally, held to celebrate the MDP’s victory in Saturday’s local council elections. Nasheed’s supporters boycotted the event in protest.

In a message sent to the MDP National Council WhatsApp group, Ghafoor said he would not step down and insisted that the matter be decided through a council vote. Ghafoor, who also represents Hanimaadhoo constituency in Parliament, was appointed interim chair after former chair Fayyaz Ismail resigned.

The petition accuses Ghafoor of making decisions “at the behest of someone else” and alleges that he violated the party’s constitution by abruptly dismissing Legal Director Ahmed Mauroof and Deputy Chairperson Ibrahim Waheed (Iburey) without due process. It warns that such actions could create unrest within the party and undermine public trust in the MDP.

Iburey told Sun he does not accept the dismissal, arguing that the chairperson does not have the authority to remove him without National Council approval. Former chair Fayyaz Ismail has also publicly accused Ghafoor of violating the party constitution by failing to maintain unity within the MDP.

Under MDP rules, the chairperson can be removed by a simple majority of members present and voting at a National Council meeting. The council has 123 members, with a quorum of 31. The party has not yet announced when the council will convene to vote on the motion.