Malé, Maldives – Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has scheduled their presidential primary election for October, 2022.
Although the date for the primary elections has not been officially announced, according to sources the date will be announced together with application opening for the elections.
This comes just a few days after the party’s national congress in which President on MDP, Speaker Mohamed Nasheed withdrew his proposal to change Maldivian governing system to a parliamentary system.
Nasheed, who received little support from his own party on his endeavor to make Maldives a Parliamentary system, withdrew the decree before it was opened for debate to the congress floor citing that an agreement was reached between him and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to discuss the matter further.
Ibrahim Waheed, a senior official of MDP had previously told that the chairperson of the party will propose the date for the presidential primary elections to the the party’s national council for discussion very soon. MDP constitution mandates a five member committee to be appointed by the national council to coordinate and carry out the presidential primaries.
The national congress of MDP has the authority to give its presidential ticket to any candidate without an election, the national council does not have this authority. Since the discussion of presidential elections was not in the agenda for discussion in the national congress held from August 19 to 21, the only way left is for the party’s internal primary election.
MDP Had officially clarified on the matter following some reports of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s faction attempting to give him the party’s presidential ticket in the recently held national congress.
President Solih has previously announced his interest to run for a second term which was met with backlash from Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed. While the party has been divided to two factions, Speaker Nasheed told that this was not the time for President Solih to run for a second term to satisfy his personal expectations.
