The Democrats Vice President Mohamed Shifaz, council member and former Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim, along with Hussain Amr, the running mate of the party’s presidential candidate Ilyas Labeeb in the last election, rejoined the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Friday, sources from both parties have confirmed.
Ibrahim Rasheed (Mamigili Ibu), a former MDP member who had defected to The Democrats, also returned to the party on the same day.
The four have not publicly commented on their decision, but none have denied rejoining the MDP. Upon signing for the MDP, they met with The Democrats President Hassan Latheef to explain their reasons for switching parties, local news outlet Adhadhu reported, citing a reliable source.
Media reports suggest that Latheef is also preparing to rejoin the MDP. He resigned as president of The Democrats on Saturday but has not yet confirmed whether he has officially rejoined the party.
Former Central Henveiru MP Azim was expelled from the MDP following his involvement in a no-confidence motion against then-Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath and his participation in press conferences criticising the Ibrahim Mohamed Solih administration’s stance on the delimitation of the maritime boundary between the Maldives and Mauritius. His expulsion triggered a wave of defections from the MDP, with several MPs and government officials resigning. These defecting members, led by former President Mohamed Nasheed, went on to form The Democrats.
The MDP faced internal divisions after Nasheed and his supporters rejected the results of the party’s presidential primary, which some observers view as a factor in the party’s defeat in the last election.