MDP congress scheduled from Oct 1st to Oct 3rd; registration to open on Sept 20th

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the country’s main opposition party, has announced that its national congress will be held in Male' from October 1 to October 3^rd.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, MDP Deputy Chairperson Mohamed Shifaz said the congress will be held at the Male' City Council hall.

Shifaz explained that under the party’s charter, a national congress must be convened every five years to facilitate amendments to its basic regulations. He said this year’s congress is scheduled to take place at the Male' City Council’s hall during the first three days of October, adding that details regarding the selection of congress representatives and the complete composition of the delegation will be announced in the coming days.

Shifaz also highlighted a major initiative planned for the congress that aligns with one of the party’s key objectives of doubling national revenue. 

"One of the party's foremost goals is to double the national income. The theme for this congress is 'Local Productivity.' In collaboration with all local councils, particularly those represented by MDP members, we have dedicated a specific session of this congress to an Investment Forum," Shifaz said.

He explained that the Investment Forum is intended to provide councils with an opportunity to identify development projects for their respective islands, attract potential investors, and establish mechanisms for implementing the proposed projects.

Shifaz revealed that 74 projects have already been submitted to the MDP Secretariat by local councils. The party expects the number to exceed 100 by the time the congress begins, with the projects to be showcased at the forum. He added that coordinating this initiative is currently one of the main priorities of the party’s project office.

"Through this Investment Forum, we aim to gauge the interest and secure the participation of Maldivian entrepreneurs and international parties in projects proposed by the councils. This is an open forum, and we extend an invitation to all interested parties," he added.

Also speaking at the press conference, Deputy Chairperson Ibrahim Waheed raised concerns over what he described as the government’s failure to provide a venue large enough to accommodate all party delegates at the same time.

"The government did not provide any venue capable of hosting our entire delegation for the sessions. We met with the President of the Elections Commission regarding this matter. Since no such venue was made available to us in Male', the only remaining option was the Male' City Council premises. Our congress typically sees the participation of over 1,000 delegates," Ibrahim Waheed stated.

He further announced that online registration for congress delegates will begin on the 20th of this month, while identification passes for congress participants will be issued in Male' from September 30.