Nasheed says MDP will keep protesting until President Muizzu comes to the negotiating table

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said the referendum held on the 4th of this month shows the public no longer trusts President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, and that the MDP will continue its protests until the President comes to the negotiating table.

The MDP is holding a series of nightly protests, including on Tuesday evening.

Speaking in front of the party’s Dhandikoshi camp on Chaandhanee Magu, Male' City, before the protest began, Nasheed said the general situation in the country is deteriorating and that fear of a wider collapse is growing in people’s hearts. He said the Maldives, like many other countries, is “under a cloud of war”, and that rising commodity prices, the strengthening dollar and shrinking job opportunities are visible to everyone. He added that overcoming the country’s fragile situation is not only the government’s responsibility but a responsibility shared by all.

Noting that President Muizzu had lost public trust in the April 4 referendum, Nasheed said the people want more votes and more political leaders to return to the public. Therefore, he said, the Constitution must reflect those expectations today.

He called on the government and President Muizzu to come to the negotiating table.

“We cannot abandon this country. President Muizzu, come to the negotiating table! Or we will continue to work forever! We will also go to the islands of Maldives! We will continue to work until President Muizzu comes to our negotiating table,” Nasheed said.

The ruling PNC suffered a major defeat in the April 4 referendum. Contrary to the government’s position, the majority voted against merging the two main elections, as advocated by the MDP. At the same time, the government lost key council seats and did not secure enough votes relative to the number of members on the PNC register.

Nasheed also noted that the current Constitution has been in force for 18 years and, despite progress, has not met the expectations of the people. He said few Maldivians believe the structure and style of government should remain unchanged.

މުޒާހަރާގެ ބައިވެރިން މިވަގުތު އޯކިޑު މަގުގައި..

އެމްޑީޕީއިން ކުރިއަށް ގެންދާ ސިލްސިލާ ކުއްލި ހަރަކާތް ކުރިއަށްދަނީ. pic.twitter.com/BXDktTKqqj

— MDP Secretariat (@MDPSecretariat) April 21, 2026

“The current Constitution was drafted by President Maumoon when he was in power, giving the people meagre powers, only to the extent he was forced to. The powers of the President are extreme under this Constitution. There is as much as a king,” Nasheed said.

He said the Constitution is now the reason for waste, corruption and abuse of power, and that there is broad agreement that the country’s governance structure needs reform.

Nasheed said he wants to reverse the constitutional changes introduced by the current administration and draft a Constitution that prevents such changes from being made again. He reiterated the urgency of reform.

Nasheed’s remarks follow a joint press conference he and Fayyaz held on Sunday proposing major changes to the Constitution, the form of government, the parliament and the economy.

The proposed reforms include separating the roles of the supreme head of state and the head of government. The purpose, they said, is to ensure the head of government is accountable to parliament while the head of state remains politically neutral and protects the national interest and the Constitution.

They said this is not an attempt to introduce a parliamentary system.

They also proposed establishing an oversight commission for independent institutions and creating a system to remove judges through a popular vote. Other proposals include maintaining the current number of MPs, increasing opportunities for women and giving the public the power to remove members.