Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has formally declared his intention to contest the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) presidential primary, in a move that comes just as former President Mohamed Nasheed is poised to rejoin the party with a significant number of his supporters.
The announcement was made during a dinner held in Malé with key allies, hosted by former lawmaker Mohamed Rasheed Hussain. Prominent MDP figures including former Parliament Speaker Mohamed Aslam, former Youth Minister Ahmed Mahloof and Malé City Mayor Adam Azim attended the gathering and expressed support for Solih’s candidacy.
Solih’s declaration coincides with mounting anticipation surrounding Nasheed’s official return to the MDP, scheduled to take place on Monday night. The timing has raised political stakes within the country’s largest opposition party, as it braces for an intensifying internal contest over its 2028 presidential ticket.
The backdrop to these developments is a broader realignment within the opposition. On Wednesday, the MDP officially welcomed Nasheed and a large contingent of The Democrats—his breakaway faction—back into its ranks. The move followed a resolution passed by The Democrats’ national assembly on Tuesday, proposed by Women Democrats leader Fathimath Hamdha Mohamed at Nasheed’s request. The resolution was widely endorsed by party members.
“I welcome the decision of former President Mohamed Nasheed and members of The Democrats to join the party,” MDP Chairperson and opposition leader Fayyaz Ismail said on X. He added that their return comes at a critical time, requiring unity and vigilance in the face of the Muizzu administration’s actions.