Nasheed: If Fayyaz loses primary, will endorse party’s candidate

Former President and MDP Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed, on Monday night, said that if the party’s former chairperson Fayyaz Ismail is defeated in the MDP presidential primary, he will support whichever candidate ultimately secures the party's presidential ticket.

Speaking on SSTV's ‘Baaru Hathareh’ program, Nasheed stressed that his primary objective is to ensure that an MDP candidate wins the presidential election.

In this regard, Nasheed said that should Fayyaz, whom he currently supports, lose the primary, he would continue to support the candidate selected by the party.

Nasheed also expressed confidence that Fayyaz would prevail in the primary.

"Regardless of the outcome, I will work alongside that candidate until I successfully see MDP return to power," he said.

He further stated that the party cannot function effectively if MDP is viewed as a weak political force, reiterating his belief that the party is capable of securing victory in the presidential election independently.

Nasheed cautioned that seeking to win the presidency through a coalition could result in considerable instability within the MDP.

Nasheed's comments come amid increasing competition within the party ahead of the MDP presidential primary. While the party's former President Abdulla Shahid is currently campaigning for the presidential ticket, there is speculation that former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and former Vice President Faisal Naseem could also enter the race.