Hithadhoo Medhu MP Ahmed Rasheed (Araairu Rasheed) has sent his resignation letter to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
Ahmed Rasheed revealed his resignation letter addressed to MDP chairman Fayyaz Ismail on Twitter moments after MDP president Mohamed Nasheed also announced his departure from the party.
While Nasheed and Ahmed Rasheed have left the MDP, efforts are ongoing under Nasheed's instruction on forming a new political party called The Democrats. The Elections Commission is verifying membership forms submitted for registration.
A dozen MDP MPs left the party and started work on forming a new party after the MDP's disciplinary committee decided to expel Medhu Henveiru MP Ali Azim. The decision was made after Azim signed a no-confidence motion against attorney general Ibrahim Riffath submitted to parliament by the opposition.
But Nasheed remained in the MDP until today. At a press conference in parliament on Monday, Nasheed said he was staying in the MDP to get the party back.
The MDP submitted a no-confidence motion against Nasheed while he was working with the opposition against the government. While 50 MDP MPs signed the motion, Ahmed Rasheed was among five MPs who did not sign it.
Nasheed was among the founding members who petitioned the government to form the MDP in 2003. Nasheed was the party's first presidential candidate and the first person to become president on the party's ticket.
Nasheed was the MDP's presidential candidate in the 2013 presidential election as well. Despite being elected as the candidate in the MDP's presidential primary in 2018, since Nasheed was under a prison sentence, the ticket was awarded to president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih through the MDP congress.
Power within the MDP has been with Solih since he assumed office. While he has control over the MDP's parliamentary group and the national council, the party's highest organ, Solih's faction also won all of the MDP's internal elections.
After Nasheed lost the MDP's presidential primary on January 28, Solih became the MDP's candidate for the presidential election.
