There will be room for differences of opinion within the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the party’s senior leader and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said.
Speaking at the opening of the MDP's fourth congress on Friday night, President Solih said the MDP is a democratic party, and there will always be room for differences of opinion.
The president said there would always be disagreements on different issues to different degrees. Some things may not be agreed upon by everyone, and some things may not be agreed upon at all, he said. However, he did not elaborate on the statement.
President Solh said the party should move forward despite any differences of opinion. He urged party members to hold on to nationalism and continue to move forward.
“The only way is to move forward even with different ideas,” he said.
The President spoke in detail about the achievements of the MDP over the past 17 years. He said the MDP was formed on certain beliefs and that the party should remain aligned with those beliefs. The party's current standing is the result of the hard work of many people, he said. He also admitted that there are matters within the party that can be strengthened and improved.
"[Back in the day], a single gesture, word, or even intuition could have trouble knocking at your door. Whether it be morning or evening, it made no difference what time it was. There were no legal procedures or court orders to enter homes. This was the situation back in the day. We wanted to eliminate this fear—of injustice, inhumanity, and oppression. Even if you look at this change alone, there is no end to the praise that every member belonging to the MDP, to this party, deserves,” he said.
