MDP chairman's election to be held on Feb. 10

The election to find a new chair of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is scheduled for Friday, February 10.

The largest opposition party in the country, MDP's post became vacant in November 2016, after then chairperson, Ali Waheed resigned from the post.

Lawyer, and Youth Minister during former President Mohamed Nasheed's Administration, Hassan Latheef is running for the position, unopposed.

Chair of MDP's Election Committee, Mohamed Ibrahim Manik announced that the chairperson election will be held on Friday, from 10 am to 6 pm, throughout the country.

Noting that they have requested to keep the Male' ballot box in Dharubaaruge, Manik said they are yet to get a response from the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure.

Manik said that if they are not granted the permit to keep the ballot box there, that the boxes will be kept at both the MDP office and Haruge (headquarters).

"We have uploaded the eligible voter's list on to our website," said Manik.

Even though he is running unopposed, Latheef has been holding various campaign events throughout the country. He has to get at least 5,000 members votes to be elected as chairperson.

Latheef, part of Nasheed's international legal team, announced his candidacy a day after Waheed resigned from the post.

ALI WAHEED'S RESIGNATION

Ali Waheed resigned, as both MDP Chair and deputy leader of the Maldives United Opposition (MUO), on November 28.

In a letter addressed to party leader, former President Nasheed, Waheed said that he was resigning "to pave way for a leader who is currently residing in the Maldives."

Waheed is currently in exile in the United Kingdom, and has been charged with terrorism over an opposition rally held in May 2015, that had led to clashes between participants and officers. His passport was revoked by authorities, in August 2016.

Following his decision to leave, MDP thanked Waheed for "his sincere hard work for the party, both in and out of the country."