MDP postpones internal congress elections for 2021

Main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has announced that they will be postponing the party's internal congress vote for the year 2021.

The party revealed that the elections, which were previously scheduled to be held on 29 May 2021, had been postponed in light of the terrorist attack which had targeted party leader and former president Mohamed Nasheed on 6 May. MDP stated that the party did not believe now was the best time to host the elections as Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed was still receiving treatment and recovering from serious injuries sustained in the assassination attempt.

MDP confirmed that a date for when the party's internal congress will be held would be announced within the next 10 days. The party added that while the elections had been postponed, MDP was still fulfilling administrative prerequisites ahead of hosting the vote at a later date.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had earlier advised the party leadership to reconsider hosting the party's internal congress elections later this month.

President Solih made the remarks at the 173rd MDP National Council Meeting held on Sunday night, and stated that the attack on Speaker Nasheed had come at a time MDP was preparing full-speed for an internal congress. President Solih stated that MDP's internal elections are always a time of increased competition among members, and that now was not the time to give opportunity to such divisions among members of the party.

President Solih added that now was the time for MDP to show unity, and requested that the party leadership reconsider hosting the elections later this month.