Nasheed: Better for MDP to hold presidential primary early next year

It is better for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to hold its presidential primary early next year, shortly after Ramadan, says former president Mohamed Nasheed, the chairperson of the main opposition party.

In an appearance on SSTV’s ‘Baaru Hathareh’ show on Monday night, Nasheed said the MDP was scheduled to hold its congress in October.

He believes it best to hold the party’s primary for the 2028 presidential elections shortly after Ramadan next year.

“But these decisions will be made by the party’s national council. I believe Ramadan starts in February. I believe it will therefore be useful to hold it shortly after February,” he said.

The rivalry within the MDP has grown heated even with two years left until the presidential race, with many heavyweights expressing interest in contesting for the main opposition party’s ticket for the elections.

This includes former Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who is reportedly engaged in negotiations with senior figures within the party to secure their backing, as well as the party’s former chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, who is running for the ticket with Nasheed’s backing.

Former vice president Faisal Naseem has also expressed interest in contesting the primary, while the party’s former president and foreign minister Abdulla Shaheed has already begun campaign tours to the atolls.