Former President Mohamed Nasheed rejoined the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) at a special rally held at Sultan Park in the capital Malé on Monday, nearly two years after resigning from the party he co-founded.
The event also saw several former MDP members rejoin the party, including Eva Abdulla, Ilyas Labeeb, Imthiyaz Fahmy, and Ibrahim Rasheed — all of whom had joined Nasheed’s breakaway party, The Democrats.
Most of the MDP leadership attended the rally, including party chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, President Abdulla Shahid, and parliament members. However, former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, with whom Nasheed had publicly split ahead of the 2023 presidential election, was notably absent.
Speaking at the rally, Nasheed praised the MDP as a uniquely transformative political force in the region.
“The MDP is not just a good boat for all seas,” he said. “There is no other party in Asia that can change a country and bring happiness to the people.”
He said the greatest challenge facing the Maldives is debt, warning that the current government lacks the capacity to meet its financial obligations.
“The biggest challenge facing the people of Maldives is debt. The debt of the state. The debt of the government. So the debt I owe, the government owes me, the debt I owe. The state debt is now 120 percent of our productivity,” Nasheed said.
“We have to repay $1.2 billion next year. Do we have that money saved? If it exists, we need to know. When we last looked, the gross reserves stood at $813 million. That includes a $400 million currency swap from the Indian government. So there is really nothing in the bank,” he added.
Nasheed said the MDP has the experience and knowledge to manage the crisis.
“The Maldivian Democratic Party will always ensure the safety of the people. We know how to restructure the debt. We know how to pay the money. We know what else we have to do to improve your general situation besides paying the money.”
Nasheed also predicted a major loss for the government in next year’s local council elections.
“President Muizzu, I will tell you tonight that you will get 20 percent,” he said.
Thanking the MDP leadership and expressing joy at returning, Nasheed said: “I’ve been away from the party for about two years. However, tonight, when I’m here, I’m extremely happy. When I get back to the village, when I get home — you know, I live in Africa — the joy of being back home again, the satisfaction and the smile that comes, I will never forget it. Thank you very, very much.”
He added that political work must be rooted in service to the people. “Political work is noble. For a political leader, we are engaged in political work for only one purpose: to ensure that we can do good for the people of Maldives.”
Nasheed’s return follows a resolution passed last week by the national assembly of The Democrats, allowing members to rejoin the MDP. The resolution, proposed by Women Democrats leader Fathimath Hamdha Mohamed at Nasheed’s request, passed with majority support and little opposition.
Nasheed resigned from the MDP in June 2023 following a public rift with then-President Solih after losing to him in the party’s presidential primary. In a letter dated 21 June 2023, Nasheed wrote that remaining in the party no longer seemed viable. He launched The Democrats on 12 July 2023, with a group of close allies — many of whom have now returned to the MDP.
Nasheed currently serves as secretary-general of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), an international climate advocacy platform, but has remained active in domestic politics.