The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has postponed its national congress to mid-2026 to merge its top leadership roles, with plans to combine the positions of party president and chairperson.
The decision, originally approved by the MDP National Assembly for an extraordinary congress to be held before 15 August, was revised at a meeting held on Wednesday.
Party Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, who currently heads the MDP, said the move to consolidate leadership would strengthen the party’s internal operations and improve cohesion.
Fayyaz also intends to propose key amendments to the party’s constitution at the upcoming congress, including a ban on the party leader contesting presidential elections while serving as leader. He also aims to prohibit the leader from holding government posts, parliamentary seats or positions in independent institutions.
“These changes are intended to allow the party to operate independently of internal factions and political interference,” Fayyaz said.
The MDP last held a national congress in 2022, when the party was in power.