Voting kicks off in MDP chairperson election

Voting in the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) internal election to elect its next chairperson kicked off at 14:30pm on Friday afternoon.

The nationwide election is a contest between former president Mohamed Nasheed and South MP Galolhu Meekail Ahmed Naseem, who has the full backing of former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

The election was triggered by the resignation of former chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, who has publicly endorsed Nasheed in the race. Political analysts states the election represents a renewed chapter in the heated rivalry between the two MDP faction.

While voting is taking place in Malé and across all inhabited islands, the party has announced an extension to polling hours. Although voting was initially scheduled to conclude at 20:00pm, the deadline has been extended to 20:30pm to facilitate greater participation among party members.

Members of the party who are listed on the party’s membership registry as of April 22 are eligible to vote in the election. To ensure the integrity of the election process, the party has established a special Compliance Committee to monitor the election and address any complaints. MDP also confirmed that all logistical arrangements, including the deployment of election officials to voting centres nationwide, have been completed.

The election is regarded as politically significant for the MDP, marking the first major internal contest involving Nasheed since his return to the party after leaving ahead of the last presidential election to form a new political party, The Democrats. Supporters of Solih argue that Nasheed’s actions at the time contributed to the party’s defeat in the 2023 presidential race.

Meanwhile, supporters of Nasheed argue that the party strayed from its founding principles under Solih’s leadership and that Nasheed was sidelined. As a result, the contest between the two candidates is widely viewed as a decisive battle that will determine which faction shapes the party’s future direction.

Both candidates conducted energetic campaigns in the lead-up to the vote. Nasheed’s campaign focused on restoring the party’s "Yellow Army" while advocating for structural reforms. Meekail’s campaign, built around the slogan "Trust," emphasized party unity and pledged to strengthen the representation of ordinary members and local councilors within the party’s National Council.