MDP chairperson election: Voting extended until 21:00pm

Voting in Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s chairperson election has been further extended until 21:00pm.

The election which kicked off at 14:30pm in the afternoon is a contest between former president Mohamed Nasheed and South Galolhu MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem, who is backed by former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

While voting is taking place in Malé and across all inhabited islands, the party has announced a second extension for polling hours: 21:00pm.

Members of the party who are listed on the party’s membership registry as of April 22 are eligible to vote in the election. 

To ensure the integrity of the election process, the party has established a special Compliance Committee to monitor the election and address any complaints. MDP also confirmed that all logistical arrangements, including the deployment of election officials to voting centres nationwide, have been completed..

The election is regarded as politically significant for the MDP, marking the first major internal contest involving Nasheed since his return to the party after leaving ahead of the last presidential election to form a new political party, The Democrats. Supporters of Solih argue that Nasheed’s actions at the time contributed to the party’s defeat in the 2023 presidential race.

Meanwhile, supporters of Nasheed argue that the party strayed from its founding principles under Solih’s leadership and that Nasheed was sidelined. As a result, the contest between the two candidates is widely viewed as a decisive battle that will determine which faction shapes the party’s future direction.