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Thursday 30 Apr 2026
LOCAL EDITION
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LOCAL EDITION
MDP lawmakers join protestors outside the Parliament as President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu delivers his annual address on February 6, 2025. (Sun Photo/Moosa Nadheem)
Parliamentarians from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) face criticism, after many of them voted to approve Home Minister Ali Ihusan’s reappointment to the cabinet.
Ihusan is one of the cabinet ministers who is most heavily criticized by the MDP, which is represented in the Parliament by 12 lawmakers.
But when voting time came Wednesday, only two MDP parliamentarians – South Galolhu MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem and Vaikaradhoo MP Hussain Ziyad (Fittey) – voted against him.
MDP’s parliamentary group leader, South Hithadhoo MP Ibrahim Nazil, and Kanditheemu MP Ameen Faisal did not join the voting.
But the remaining eight parliamentarians voted in favor of Ihusan’s reappointment. They are:
The only three ministers all MDP parliamentarians had downvoted were Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed, Heritage Minister Heena Waleed, and Environment Minister Ali Rasheed.
But eight of them voted to approve Ihusan’s reappointment.
This was especially surprising given the MDP’s parliamentary group had initiated a no-confidence motion against Ihusan last year, over allegations of his involvement in having fake membership forms filled using data on the Department of National Registration (DNR)’s website, in order to artificially boost the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)’s membership.
This is not the only serious allegation raised by the MDP against Ihusan.
He was also accused by the MDP of awarding a government contract to Bestinet, a blacklisted Malaysian company, to create a new system to manage data of foreign workers, despite the existence of the Xpat system.
Ihusan was also accused of exerting political influence over police investigations, helping coverup crimes by government officials, and repeatedly obstructing the police from performing their duties.
The MDP has also raised serious allegations against Ihusan in connection to multiple high-profile cases, including the case of a young woman found injured on the roof of a building in Male’ in April last year, and the case of Zakiyaa Moosa, a woman from N. Holhudhoo who was found dead in her home with knife wounds on her neck.
The party has also raised serious allegations against Ihusan over police crackdowns on protests and investigations against journalists.
He has also been accused of repeatedly divulging private and sensitive information regarding victims of crimes.
Some members of the MDP, as well as the larger general public, found the “yes” vote on Wednesday difficult to stomach.
Former North Galolhu MP Eva Abdulla said that the parliamentarians who voted to approve Ihusan’s reappointed owed the rest of MDP members as well as their constituents an explanation.
MDP members, the MDP Gaumee Majlis, and especially their constituents who voted them in as opposition MPs, MPs expected to stand up to any government abuse or misuse of power, deserve an explanation. https://t.co/BgX3c9XKEl
— Eva Abdulla (@evattey) April 30, 2026
Former Ungoofaaru MP Mohamed Waheed (Wadde) also demanded an explanation as to why the MDP parliamentarians, including party’s interim chairperson Abdul Ghafoor, voted in favor of the incumbent government minister who is involved in “the most wrongdoings”.
“You shout about the abuse against ordinary members every night and then go and vote for the abuse the next day?” he wrote on X.
މި ސަރުކާރުގެ އެންމެ ހަޑިހާވާ މިނިސްޓަރަށް އެމްޑީޕީގެ ވަގުތީ ޗެއާޕާސަނާ ޕީޖީ ގްރޫޕް ބޭފުޅުން އަލުން ރުހުންދިނުމުގެ ފަހަތުގައިވާ ސަބަބުތައް އާއްމު މެމްބަރުންނަށް ސާފުކޮށްދޭންޖެހޭ. ކޮންމެ ރެޔަކު އާއްމު މެމްބަރުންނަށް ކުރާ އަނިޔާއޭ ގޮވާފައި ގޮސް އަނެއްދުވަހު އަނިޔާއަށް ވޯޓު؟
— Waddey (@waddey_) April 30, 2026
Former Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim asked how people are supposed to trust the parliamentarians.
What a joke. At night they demand the President and Cabinet resign, by day they approve and reconfirm them for minister posts,” he wrote on X.
What a joke. At night they demand the President and Cabinet resign, by day they approve and reconfirm them for minister posts.
— ???????????? ???????????????? (@aliaazim) April 30, 2026
MDP needs a reset. The party needs real leadership. https://t.co/YH8a0x475W
The incident comes amid intense rivalry within the MDP over chairpersonship vote, as well as regarding the party’s ticket for the 2028 presidential elections.
