Nasheed comes home: ex-pres. rejoins MDP after two-year rift
Many senior members of MDP and members of the party's PG participated in Monday’s ceremony
Former president Mohamed Nasheed at MDP's rally
Former President Mohamed Nasheed has rejoined the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) after two long years of estrangement.
He rejoined the MDP at a special ceremony held at Sultan Park on the night of 23 June 2025.
The ceremony was held to mark the anniversary of MDP. In addition to this, the event included a ceremony for former MDP members who had joined The Democrats with former Nasheed to rejoin MDP.
Nasheed formally left the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on 21 June 2023, citing concerns over the state of national affairs. In his resignation statement, Nasheed said he no longer believed remaining with MDP was the right choice given the country’s prevailing circumstances.
With the return of Mohamed Nasheed, who is a founding figure of MDP and the Maldives' first democratically elected president, political analysts anticipate significant shifts within the party’s internal dynamics and broader political strategy.
Many senior members of MDP and members of the party's Parliamentary Group participated in Monday’s ceremony. Also in attendance were senior figures who had left MDP to form a party called The Democrats, but who rejoined the MDP on Tuesday night.
