Former President Nasheed Elected Chairperson of Maldivian Democratic Party in Landslide Victory

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has been elected chairperson of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) following a decisive landslide victory in the party's internal election, cementing his return as the dominant figure in Maldives' oldest political party.

Nasheed secured the chairmanship by a commanding margin, defeating Galolhu South MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem, who had campaigned on a platform of young leadership and youth empowerment. The election was held across 241 ballot boxes established in the Maldives and Sri Lanka, with 48,912 eligible voters participating in the exercise.

The newly elected chairperson wasted no time in rallying supporters, issuing an invitation for MDP members to gather at the Artificial Beach in Male' to celebrate what he called a historic moment for the party and the country. Addressing the crowd, Nasheed framed his victory as the beginning of a Revolution — the central slogan of his campaign — and a decisive step toward restoring the MDP to power.

Every country reaches a moment when it must change its situation, Nasheed told supporters at the celebration event. 

We are seeing such a moment now. We cannot leave this country. This is our country. With your vote, the work of bringing a ‘revolution' to this country has started today.

Nasheed had rejoined the MDP after a period with the Democrats, a move that set the stage for his candidacy. His campaign centred on two key pledges: to strengthen the MDP and to nominate former Economic Minister Fayyaz Ismail as the party's presidential candidate in 2028, with the goal of returning the MDP to government.

Fayyaz has expressed his ambition to lead the government, while Nasheed signalled his intent to serve as head of state. Their platform proposed a significant restructuring of Maldives' governance system, separating the roles of head of state and head of government — a departure from the current presidential model. Under their proposal, the head of government would be elected by direct popular vote.

We will win with united ranks after the election of former President Mohamed Nasheed as the Chairman of the MDP, Fayyaz said in a social media post following Nasheed’s victory, labelling it as proof that MDP members were ready for the proposed ‘revolution’.

Despite his defeat in the chairperson race, Meekail moved quickly to signal his commitment to party unity, assuring the MDP that he would work collaboratively to secure victory in the 2028 presidential election. The gesture was reciprocated by Nasheed, who extended an open invitation to political rivals to join in holding the government accountable and participating in the country's transformation.

I call on all my political rivals to come. Come, we should all work together, hold this government accountable, and continue all the work of changing the government from tonight,” Nasheed said.

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who backed Meekail in the election, congratulated Nasheed on his victory in a social media post, expressing confidence that the MDP's political objectives would be advanced under Nasheed's experienced leadership. Solih highlighted that the election results underscored the party's thriving internal democracy and called on all members to move forward together.

The election once again showed that the MDP's internal democracy is flourishing, Solih said.

There is a lot of political work to be done by the MDP to hold the current government accountable, and I am confident that it will be done under the chairmanship of former President Mohammed Nasheed in the light of his experience.

Nasheed also issued a rallying call to young people both within the MDP and across the nation, urging them to stand up and participate in the change he said had begun. 

I call on the youth in the MDP and across the country to stand up and participate in the work that has started from today, he declared, pledging to champion the cause of freedom and prosperity for all Maldivians.