Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has been presented with the first Bush Thatcher Freedom Award for their contributions in the fight for democracy and human rights.

MDP announced via twitter on Friday night that the party is the very first recipient of the Bush Thatcher Freedom Award from the International Democrat Union (IDU) due to its efforts in promoting democracy and protecting human rights.

The party's secretary-general, Anas Abdul Sattar, accepted the award on behalf of MDP at a special ceremony held at Washington D.C.

MDP's Deputy Secretary-General, Afshan Latheef and Ambassador to the United States of America, and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Thilmeeza Hussain were also in attendance at the awarding ceremony.

Officially registered on 23rd June 2005, MDP was the first political party founded in the Maldives. It is also the largest political party in the country.

The IDU is an international association of centrist to center-right political parties founded in 1983. The IDU provides a common platform for political parties to engage in discourse in matters of policy and organizational interest.