Nasheed rejoined MDP unconditionally to help win elections, says Fayyaz

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail has stated that former President Mohamed Nasheed rejoined the party without any conditions or prior discussions aimed at securing specific outcomes.

Nasheed, who resigned from the MDP presidency in 2023 following internal disputes and went on to form The Democrats, officially rejoined the MDP last Monday after two years.

His return comes amid renewed interest in contesting the 2028 presidential election, following consultations with several individuals about the possibility. Fayyaz is reported to have played a central role in facilitating Nasheed’s return to the party.

Following Nasheed’s re-entry into MDP, rumors circulated on social media suggesting that his return was contingent upon an agreement to back Fayyaz as the party's presidential candidate and to eventually push for a transition to a parliamentary system of governance.

Dismissing these claims, Fayyaz emphasized that Nasheed’s return was unconditional and that no such discussion ever took place.

“President Nasheed did not rejoin this party based on any deals or discussions. He returned to help the MDP win upcoming elections. There was no agreement to support any specific candidate in the presidential race, nor any talk of him participating in such decisions,” Fayyaz stated.

He added that Nasheed’s motivation for rejoining was rooted in a desire to steer the country in a better direction and that the main goal was to "save the nation."

“President Nasheed didn’t come back because of any deal, as some suggest,” he reiterated.

Fayyaz officially announced today that he will be contesting in the MDP's presidential primary. He noted that he is currently the only person to have openly declared his candidacy and therefore faces no direct challenge at this point.

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (Ibu), who lost the 2023 presidential election, has also conveyed—through close associates—his intention to contest in the upcoming primary for a second term. His announcement came shortly after Nasheed’s decision to rejoin the MDP.

Nasheed himself has also expressed interest in running in the 2028 election and has reportedly sought the views of senior MDP officials on the matter.

Many within the party believe that Solih’s defeat in the 2023 election was largely due to the rift between him and Nasheed, which resulted in a split within the MDP. While Nasheed did not contest in that election, Ilyas Labeeb ran as The Democrats' candidate and secured the third-highest number of votes in the first round.