Parliament speaker and former president Mohamed Nasheed has quit the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
According to the resignation letter, Nasheed does not think that staying in MDP is the best course of action given the current situation in the country.
Nasheed, one of the founding members of MDP, was the president of the party. With his resignation after 18 years, the position has become vacant.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Nasheed said that it was difficult to remain in the MDP despite his long membership.
He expressed concern over the alleged obstruction of efforts by his supporters to register The Democrats, a party formed by a breakaway faction of the MDP.
He accused the MDP government of curtailing fundamental rights.
"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 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.
"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," he said.
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, Nasheed said, adding that The Democrats will take a considerable portion from the MDP's voter base in the next presidential election.
"It can be seen very clearly that a large segment of the MDP's voter base will split off to The Democrats," Nasheed said.
He is expected to join The Democrats. The party earlier announced that they will be fielding a candidate for the September 9 presidential election and Nasheed is likely to win the party's ticket.
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 MDP after giving up the party's ticket to president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in 2018.
Nasheed during the 2008 campaign.
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.
