The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leadership is not cowardly enough to retreat from the battlefield every time it faces defeat, the party's President Abdulla Shahid has said.
Speaking to reporters after the MDP National Assembly held Wednesday, Abdulla Shahid said the MDP is a party that adheres to strong principles. Likening elections to a battlefield, Shahid said MDP members would not perceive losses as the end of the world and flee from the battleground.
Shahid assured party members that the party would be revitalized and come back even stronger to reclaim its position as the elected ruling party.
"Hopefully, we will bring the MDP back to power. God willing, the people will once again see the MDP take the majority in the Parliament," Shahid said.
Shahid, who served as Foreign Minister in the last MDP government, recalled that the MDP had underperformed in the 2013 presidential election and did not win the 2014 parliamentary elections. Even then, instead of resigning, the party leaders decided to conduct a study to identify the reasons for the losses, he said.
Shahid said following the study and bringing changes based on its findings, the MDP won the 2018 presidential election in a single round and won a supermajority of the 19th Parliament. Therefore, even this time round, the MDP will act as it did in the past and plan things in advance in the light of the study, he said.
Acknowledging increased calls for the resignation of party Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, Shahid said he has personally advised and encouraged Fayyaz not to resign. He emphasized that the current MDP leadership, including Fayyaz, are resilient individuals who are not easily discouraged by setbacks.
