Parliament Speaker and President of main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Mohamed Nasheed has spoken about the party's Chairperson Election.
MDP's Chairperson Election has been scheduled for 14th May. While two candidates are going head to head for the post, Nasheed's family and allies back Maafannu North MP Imthiyaz Fahmy and Economic Minister Fayyaz Ismail has the support of senior government officials. The party's internal politics have become strained due to the competitive nature of the campaigns.
In an interview given to India's Doordarshan channel, Nasheed said the most trending topic in the Maldives right now is the MDP Chairperson Election and that the whole country is decorated in MDP's colors and flags. He summarised that two candidates are contesting for the post and that both teams are carrying out enthusiastic campaigns.
The former Maldives' president said neither himself nor President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had officially declared that they support rival candidates. However, it is obvious what they want, and said both want what is best for the party. Nasheed said an honest and 'clean' candidate is what the party needs. He further said having a parliamentarian as the party's Chairperson would be far more effective for the party.
Many believe Nasheed has not openly declared his support for Imthiyaz as that would prompt President Solih to announce his support for Fayyaz. Most MDP's parliamentary group, National Council, and government officials back Fayyaz.
