Interim committee of five, including Nasheed, set to take over MDP’s running

The national council of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is set to vote on having the party’s operations overseen by an interim committee composed of five top officials, including former Maldivian leader Mohamed Nasheed.

The move follows internal turmoil which came with the main opposition party fresh from its victory in the local council elections and referendum held on April 4.

On April 6, former president Mohamed Nasheed and former party chairperson Fayyaz Ismail boycotted a rally held by the MDP in Male’ City to celebrate its election victory, after they were reportedly denied the chance to speak at the event.

The turmoil deepened further the next day, after the party’ deputy chairperson Ibrahim Waheed (Iburey) and legal director Ahmed Mauroof (Matey) were abruptly dismissed by interim chairperson Abdul Ghafoor Moosa (Gapo).

On April 8, 55 members loyal to Nasheed and Fayyaz filed a petition demanding a no-confidence vote against Abdul Ghafoor, who insisted that Nasheed and Fayyaz had not originally been scheduled to speak at the April 6 event, but that he had been working to add them to the agenda after they requested the chance to speak.The party’s national council is set to vote on the motion on Monday.

But during a rally in Lh. Hinnavaru on Friday night, former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced that the internal conflict has been resolved, and that all parties involved have come to a common understanding.

Sun has learnt that the MDP national council is set to convene for a meeting on Saturday night, during which it will vote of several key proposals, including granting former Maldivian presidents from MDP a seat at the council – a move designed to allow Nasheed a more prominent role in the party’s leadership.

The council will also vote on having the MDP run with an interim committee composed of five members. Sun has learnt that the committee will be composed of Solih, Nasheed, Fayyaz, Abdul Ghafoor and party president Abdulla Shahid.

The MDP is also reportedly set to reinstate deputy chairperson Iburey and legal director Mauroof.

The MDP had also faced an internal rift in the leadup to the 2023 presidential elections, as both Nasheed and Solih vied for the party’s presidential ticket. Nasheed, along with members loyal to him, left the MDP after Solih won the ticket, and formed a new party, the Democrats.

 But Nasheed, who famously vowed to “dismantle” the MDP, returned to the party and also joined campaign events in the atolls for the local council elections.

Members loyal to Nasheed say the former president deserves credit for MDP’s election victory.