Fayyaz Urges Immediate MDP Congress to Enable Urgent Party Reforms

Former chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party, Fayyaz Ismail, has called for an immediate party congress to fast-track reforms, citing growing internal divisions and the need to realign the party with public expectations.

In a statement, Fayyaz said the outcome of the recent local council elections reflected a clear demand from the public for reform, and emphasised that the MDP must respond by modernising and evolving to meet current challenges.

“The path to doing so begins with ensuring a fair and transparent process to elect a new chair of MDP,” he said, urging swift action to rebuild unity and direction within the party.

The LCE election results are undeniable evidence that the Maldivian people demand reform, and that MDP is the vessel they have chosen to put their faith in.

We must answer their trust by modernizing, understanding the demands of the current day, and evolving to meet the citizens…— Fayyaz Ismail (@faya_i) April 8, 2026

He added that the reform process would require rethinking the party’s core values and rebuilding its foundations, calling on members and the public to contribute ideas toward shaping its future.

“If we wish to reform our country, we must first reform our party,” Fayyaz said.

Fayyaz also criticised the current leadership under interim chair Abdul Gafoor Moosa, alleging that it had failed to maintain the momentum following the party’s recent electoral gains and had acted in disregard of the party’s constitution in removing elected officials.

In this context, he confirmed that he had signed the no-confidence motion seeking Gafoor’s removal, which had been submitted with backing from more than the required number of council members.

The motion comes amid escalating tensions within the party following the dismissal of vice chairperson Ibrahim Waheed and other officials, as competing factions continue to push for leadership changes and structural reform.