Nasheed: Zionist settlement claims linked to Rasmale’ baseless; pushing such rhetoric will erode public confidence in MDP

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said that making statements such as “Zionists are taking over the country” in relation to the Rasmale' project spearheaded by President Mohamed Muizzu’s administration will erode public trust in the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Nasheed made the remarks in a post shared on X on Sunday.

He said the use of religion as a political weapon and the spread of unfounded claims about major national projects undermine the seriousness of the party and corrode public discourse. Such rhetoric, he said, “will not give any confidence to the MDP”.

Nasheed noted that the current trajectory of the MDP is a matter of serious concern. He said the party, once committed to openness, pluralism and democratic reform, now appears increasingly willing to embrace xenophobic and ultra-nationalistic rhetoric, a shift he described as a departure from the founding ideals on which the party was built.

He recalled that earlier campaign messages such as “having fun without fear” expanded support by some twenty thousand votes without alienating others. In contrast, he said, populist narratives rooted in fear and division risk driving away the party’s original base of moderate, liberal voters.

The recent trajectory of the MDP is cause for serious concern. We once championed openness, pluralism, and democratic reform. Now we appear increasingly willing to embrace xenophobic and ultra nationalistic rhetoric. This is a departure from the founding ideals that defined the MDP’s political identity and inspired many of its earliest supporters. A growing number within the party seem convinced that electoral success depends on manufacturing populist outrage and mobilising public sentiment through fear and division. Yet this strategy risks undermining the very constituency that has historically sustained the MDP. Voters who are multicultural, liberal, and open minded. Alienating this core base in pursuit of short term political gains is not only misguided but strategically self defeating. It is worth recalling the campaign built around the slogan Birakaa Nulaa Majaa Kurun. Far from diminishing support, that message broadened the party’s appeal, attracting an estimated twenty thousand additional votes without significantly repelling others. By contrast, invoking religion as a political tool and promoting unfounded narratives, such as the claim that “Zionists are taking over the country”, does nothing to strengthen the party’s credibility. Such rhetoric is not only baseless; it corrodes public discourse and diminishes the seriousness of national politics. The MDP stands at a crossroads. If it continues down this path, it risks eroding its identity and forfeiting the values that once distinguished it. It is my hope that principled members will intervene to prevent the party from embracing a self destructive course. May Allah grant us the wisdom and strength to uphold integrity in our politics.

— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) November 1, 2026

Nasheed said the MDP is now in a historically fragile state, urging members who uphold the party’s founding principles to step forward and prevent it from moving toward self-destruction. Moderate and liberal-minded voters, he said, are those who reject extreme political or nationalist ideologies, prefer dialogue and peaceful solutions, and welcome reformist ideas that uphold democratic values such as human rights and freedom of expression. Such voters, he said, do not accept policies that manufacture fear and division.

He added that when the MDP was formed, its central message was to challenge authoritarianism and secure fundamental freedoms for the people, a vision that drew young people, educated citizens and reform-minded supporters to the party’s liberal and democratic principles.