A group of politicians loyal to former President Mohamed Nasheed on Thursday submitted over 3,500 membership forms to the Elections Commission (EC) in a bid to formally register a political party under the name “The Democrats”. The politicians, who recently defected from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), are now awaiting the verification of the forms and the attainment of the minimum required membership of 3,000 members.
Hassan Latheef, former chairman of the MDP and Member of Parliament for Henveiru West, handed over the sealed boxes containing a total of 3,560 membership forms to the EC earlier today. Latheef called on the electoral body to allow The Democrats to convene their initial meeting as a political party, as mandated by law.
Latheef revealed that the members had actively recruited individuals during visits to various islands, with a target of collecting 3,500 membership forms. While The Democrats have already received backing from twelve members of parliament who recently defected from the MDP, it is running a campaign to attract more members from around the country.
The Democrats aims to field a candidate for the upcoming presidential election in September, presenting a challenge to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s re-election bid. As the registration process proceeds, the new party hopes to consolidate their support base and solidify their position in Maldivian politics.