Former Dhidhdhoo MP Waheed Refuses Interim MDP Chairperson Role as Party Rift Deepens

MV+ News Desk | November 30, 2025
Former Dhidhdhoo MP Abdulla Waheed.

Former Dhidhdhoo MP Abdulla Waheed has refused to take up the role of interim chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), intensifying concerns over widening internal fractures within the main opposition party.

His decision follows Friday night’s tumultuous National Council meeting, convened to elect a temporary successor to former chairperson Fayyaz Ismail. The sitting was abandoned after fierce disputes erupted over procedure, eligibility, and vote counting—laying bare the deep-seated tensions between rival factions in the party.

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Meeting Descends Into Dispute Over Eligibility

Three names were put forward for the interim post: former Speaker Mohamed Aslam, former MP Abdulla Waheed, and Hanimaadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa. The meeting quickly became contentious when the chair rejected Aslam’s nomination on the grounds that he is not a member of the National Council, prompting a heated confrontation among council members.

Waheed received 48 votes out of the 96 members present. However, the chair ruled that this tally did not meet the required threshold. His supporters argued that Waheed had in fact secured enough votes. Their position was later reflected in a report issued a day after by Deputy Chairperson Ibrahim Waheed, who stated that one member had left the room before the vote was taken, reducing the number of participating members to 95 excluding the chair and setting the required majority at 48—a figure he said Abdulla Waheed had achieved.

Waheed: Leadership Behaviour Will Obstruct My Work

In a statement released today, Abdulla Waheed said he had agreed to contest the position after being encouraged by a member of the party’s parliamentary group. He said he had consulted both President Abdulla Shahid and former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih before putting his name forward.

However, Waheed said he no longer believed he could carry out the responsibilities of interim chairperson due to the conduct of those who had urged him to stand.

“I do not doubt that the President of the party, the party’s advisor, and the members of the parliamentary group who supported and encouraged me to run for the position—as well as the way they acted after the vote—will create significant obstacles for me in fulfilling the position,” he said.

Waheed added that he was refusing the position “to keep the party united” and urged Shahid and Solih to avoid such behaviour in the future, calling on them to work jointly to preserve the party’s strength.

With Waheed stepping aside, South Galolhu MP Meekail Ahmed Nasym has announced his intention to seek the interim chairpersonship.

Factional Struggle Intensifies

The controversy marks the latest chapter in the long-running power struggle between factions loyal to former presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. According to party insiders, Waheed was backed by figures aligned with Nasheed, while Aslam—Solih’s 2023 running mate—is the preferred candidate of the Solih camp.

Such internal clashes are not new. Aslam was previously at the centre of a similar dispute in 2019, when Nasheed proposed him for Speaker while Solih supported former Vilufushi MP Hassan Afeef. A compromise ultimately installed Nasheed as Speaker.

The rivalry escalated ahead of the 2023 presidential election, leading Nasheed and his supporters to break away and form The Democrats. Their strong campaign against Solih is widely regarded within the MDP as a pivotal factor in the party’s electoral defeat. Many members of Nasheed’s faction returned to the MDP earlier this year, revitalising but also complicating the party’s internal landscape.

Party sources say the MDP remains sharply divided over its preferred 2028 presidential candidate. A recent heated exchange between Nasheed and Solih in a WhatsApp group of current and former National Council members—sparked by debate over the party’s poor 2023 election performance—highlighted the fragility of the party’s unity.

Abdulla Waheed’s refusal to take the interim chairperson role is seen as another setback to efforts to stabilise the MDP, raising further questions over the party’s ability to regroup ahead of critical elections.

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