Former President Mohamed Nasheed has indicated that he is considering a run for the presidency in 2028, reaching out to some members of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to seek their views on the possibility.
In a message sent to some MDP members, Nasheed said he was thinking about contesting the upcoming presidential election and asked for their thoughts, assuring them that their response would not affect their personal relationship with him.
Nasheed, who also served as the speaker of the 19th parliament, resigned from the MDP on 21 June 2023 after a falling-out with former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The split followed Solih’s decision to run for a second term – a move Nasheed opposed. Earlier that year, Solih defeated Nasheed in the MDP’s presidential primary.
Following his departure, Nasheed joined The Democrats, a new political party formed by his loyalists. However, many senior figures who left the MDP alongside Nasheed have since returned to the party. Nasheed himself has remained politically inactive and is currently serving as secretary-general of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), an international coalition of countries focused on addressing climate change.
Although not formally involved in active politics, Nasheed has said he does not intend to completely withdraw from political life. In April, he suggested that the best path forward for the Maldives would be an alliance between the MDP and The Democrats. MDP chairman and opposition leader Fayyaz Ismail welcomed the proposal, but the two parties have not yet moved towards formal cooperation.
The race for the MDP’s presidential ticket in 2028 is expected to be highly competitive. Fayyaz, a former economic minister, has already declared his candidacy. Other likely contenders include former President Solih, MDP president Abdulla Shahid, Malé Mayor Adam Azim, and Hulhumalé South MP Dr Ahmed Shamheed.
Nasheed was one of the founding members of the MDP in 2003 and became the first person to win the presidency on the party’s ticket in 2008, in the country’s first free democratic elections. His presidency ended abruptly in 2012, in what he has long maintained was a coup d’état.