The two councilors from the Democrats in Male’ City Council has resigned to Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
North Galolhu constituency Councilor Mohamed Saif Fathih and West Galolhu constituency Councilor Mariyam Nazima were elected to Male’ City Council on MDP’s ticket. Both councilors have now resigned to MDP.
MDP was plagued by internal conflicts toward the end of its last administration, leading to the formation of two factions within the party.
Following their defeat in the MDP’s 2023 presidential primary, the faction led by former president Mohamed Nasheed and his supporters defected from the party and went on to form a new political party called The Democrats. Both Saif and Nazim joined The Democrats, which contested the presidential election that year.
However, the party’s presidential candidate, Ilyas Labeeb, failed to qualify for runoffs, following which the party decided against backing any candidate in the election.
This rift is widely believed to be one of the main reasons for MDP’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election.
At the onset of the current administration, Nasheed announced he would play a role in it. However, months into the current administration, The Democrats began mending ties with MDP.
On June 17th, Democrats passed a resolution agreeing that all members will rejoin the MDP, citing that they believe “a strong opposition is the best way to win the local council election, improve Maldives’ future, uphold an accountable state, and restore the waning faith in a competitive multi-party system.”
MDP welcomed back Nasheed and its other former members in a major rally held on June 18th.
However, differences persist within the party, with intense competition between Male’ Mayor Adam Azim and Ali Azim, who is eyeing the Male’ mayor post on the party’s ticket in the upcoming local council elections.