Bonde: It is us who dismantled MDP, that will even rebuild it

Ibrahim Rasheed (Bonde), former Central Maafannu MP and a key figure in the formation of The Democrats in 2023, has stated that those responsible for dismantling the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) would also be the ones to rebuild it.

Speaking on SSTV’s ‘Baaru Hathareh’ program, Bonde reflected on the internal divisions that ultimately led to the split within the MDP and the formation of The Democrats ahead of the 2023 presidential election. He also addressed criticism from supporters of rival candidate Meekail Naseem regarding former president Mohamed Nasheed’s bid for MDP chairpersonship, particularly concerns surrounding Nasheed’s return to the party after a dramatic exit.

Bonde argued that the “real” MDP had never been dismantled, asserting instead that what had been broken apart was merely an “empty shell”. He cited the fundamental cause of the division as the party’s failure to forge a pathway for Nasheed to contest the 2018 presidential election.

According to Bonde, Nasheed had developed the ‘Jazeera Raajje’ manifesto while residing in the United Kingdom ahead of the 2018 election. However, Nasheed’s legal convictions at the time ultimately resulted in MDP fielding former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as its presidential candidate.

Bonde further said during an MDP Congress held in AA. Ukulhas, he had proposed seeking international intervention to secure Nasheed’s release. However, he said the congress failed to act on it.

“These were events I witnessed firsthand; these were the reasons for the split. We saw a lack of humanity within the group that was leading the MDP at that time,” Bonde stressed.

Commenting on the upcoming chairperson election, Bonde said the two candidates, Nasheed and Meekail, are “as different as sky and earth.” In this regard, he described Nasheed as a “jet engine” capable of propelling the party forward with significant momentum.

He said Nasheed possesses the experience and availability required to manage both administrative and political responsibilities within the party. In contrast, Bonde slammed claims expressing confidence that Meekail could effectively balance his duties as a sitting parliament member and the party leadership as a “deceptive scam.”

Drawing a comparison between the two candidates, Bonde compared Meekail “2T engine,” suggesting that he would struggle to dedicate sufficient time even to the day-to-day operations of the MDP office. He further criticized the use of “trust” as a central campaign message, describing it as a major attempt to mislead the public.