Former President Mohamed Nasheed has expressed serious concern over the direction of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), warning that the party is drifting away from the democratic principles and values on which it was founded.
In a statement shared on social media, Nasheed criticised what he described as the party’s growing acceptance of xenophobic and ultra-nationalist rhetoric, arguing that such an approach threatens the political identity that once distinguished the MDP.
Nasheed, a central figure in the Maldives’ democratic reform movement and one of the MDP’s founding leaders, said the party had historically stood for openness, pluralism and democratic reform, but was now increasingly embracing political narratives that contradicted those ideals.
He warned that some within the party appeared to believe electoral success could be achieved by stirring public anger and exploiting fear and division.
According to Nasheed, this approach risks alienating the very voters who helped establish the MDP as a major political force.
He argued that the party’s traditional support base included liberal, multicultural and open-minded voters who were drawn to its commitment to democratic values.
Moving towards divisive nationalist messaging in pursuit of short-term political gains, he suggested, could ultimately weaken the party rather than strengthen its electoral prospects.
Nasheed also criticised the use of religion as a political tool and the promotion of claims that Zionists were attempting to take control of the Maldives.
He described such narratives as unfounded and damaging to the credibility of the party, warning that they undermined the quality of political debate in the country.
Reflecting on the MDP’s previous electoral campaigns, Nasheed pointed to the slogan Birakaa Nulaa Majaa Kurun, which he said had helped broaden the party’s appeal.
He claimed the campaign attracted approximately 20,000 additional votes without significantly alienating existing supporters, presenting it as an example of how the party could expand its electoral support without abandoning its principles.
Nasheed warned that the party now faced a defining choice between preserving its founding identity and continuing along what he regarded as a damaging political path.
He expressed hope that members committed to the MDP’s original principles would intervene to prevent further departures from those values.
Concluding his statement, Nasheed called for integrity in politics and urged party members to reconsider the direction in which the MDP was heading.
