Speaker of parliament Mohamed Nasheed said on Monday that it was difficult to remain in the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) despite his long membership, accusing the MDP government of curtailing fundamental rights.
Speaking at a press conference about the deadlock in parliament, Nasheed said he spent his whole life trying to ensure basic rights in the Maldives, which included advocating for freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press.
"In my view, no state agency should do anything other than encourage the formation of a political party. It is very regrettable, especially in an MDP government, to do otherwise. I am very concerned about this," Nasheed said.
Nasheed expressed concern over the alleged obstruction of efforts by his supporters to form The Democrats.
"If the party I am in now is committing these acts, it is very difficult for me to remain in MDP no matter how long it has been. It's very difficult for me. Yes, I am very sad, it saddens me to say this," Nasheed said at today's press conference.
The direction of the MDP's pledges is wrong and the government did not consult with the party at all during the past four years, he said. The Democrats will take a considerable portion from the MDP's voter base in the next presidential election, he added.
Asked repeatedly about the reasons for remaining in the MDP, Nasheed said at first that it was very likely that the MDP would be freed from the "shackles" of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who is the party's leader as the incumbent, after the presidential election on September 9.
"It can be seen very clearly that a large segment of the MDP's voter base will split off to The Democrats," Nasheed said.
When reporters asked repeatedly to explain the reasons in detail, Nasheed said he was staying in the MDP to get the party back. His intention would be clear to the Maldivian people and MDP members, he said.
"I am staying in the MDP exactly with this intention. All MDP members should know, I will remain here and make decisions with this party, with The Democrats, God willing, in this country," Nasheed said.
Nasheed, who was president in the MDP's first government and contested as the MDP's presidential candidate in both the 2008 and 2013 elections, started losing power in the party after giving up the ticket to Solih in 2018.
Nasheed was the candidate elected in the MDP's primary that year as well. He was the sole candidate who contested in the primary. However, as he was unable to contest due to a prison sentence, the presidential ticket was awarded to Solih through the MDP congress.
Since then, the president has taken control of the MDP's parliamentary group and the national council, the party's most powerful organ. The president went on to win every internal election of the MDP. Solih also became the MDP's candidate for this year's presidential election after defeating Nasheed.
