Male’ City Councillors Saif and Nazima Rejoin MDP After Two Year-Long Split

Two Malé City councillors, Saif Fathih and Mariyam Nazima Mohamed Faiz, have formally returned to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), more than two years after defecting amid internal rifts.

Both councillors were originally elected on MDP tickets but left the party in 2023, joining The Democrats, a breakaway faction founded by former president Mohamed Nasheed following a prolonged dispute with then-president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Saif became one of the Democrats’ more active public figures and also contested the Malé mayoral by-election on the party’s ticket. That race was won by MDP candidate Adam Azim, who filled the vacancy created when former mayor Dr Mohamed Muizzu assumed the presidency.

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The Democrats announced their dissolution earlier this year, with Nasheed and his core supporters rejoining the MDP in June. However, Saif and several other members delayed their return until now. Most senior figures from the Democrats, including former MP Ali Azim, have since re-entered the MDP; Azim is currently campaigning for the party’s nomination for Malé mayor.

The Democrats emerged from escalating tensions within the MDP dating back to 2019, when disagreements surfaced over the choice of parliamentary speaker. Nasheed supported Mohamed Aslam, while Solih favoured former Vilufushi MP Hassan Afeef. A compromise saw Nasheed assume the speakership.

The rivalry deepened in the run-up to the 2023 presidential election, after Nasheed suffered a heavy defeat to Solih in the MDP’s presidential primary. The fallout ultimately triggered the formation of The Democrats, whose members have now—with few exceptions—returned to the MDP fold.