Democrats' Nasheed and MDP's Fayyaz meet as both eye 2028 presidential race

Former Maldivian president and founder of Democrats Mohamed Nasheed and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s chairperson Fayyaz Ismail met on Monday, as both eye the 2028 presidential elections.

In a post on X on Monday, Fayyaz said he was invited for lunch by Nasheed and other members of the Democrats.

Fayyaz said that during the lunch meeting, they engaged in “extensive discussions over the changes to the political landscape and upcoming works.”

“Putting this country back on the right track requires collaborative work by everyone who advocate for reform,” he added.

The meeting was attended by Democrats’ incumbent president Imthiyaz Fahmy (Inthi), former Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim, and Democrats’ former president Hassan Latheef, who recently returned to the MDP.

ރ. ނަޝީދާއި ޑިމޮކްރެޓްސްގެ މެންބަރުން ދެއްވި މެންދުރުގެ ކެއުމަށް ވަރަށް ބޮޑަށް ޝުކުރިއްޔާ. ސިޔާސީ މަޝްރަހަށް އަންނަ ބަދަލުތަކާއި ކުރިއަށް ކުރާން ހުރި މަސައްކަތާ ގުޅޭގޮތުން ވަރަށް ފުޅާ ދާއިރާއެއްގައި ޚިޔާލުބަަދަލުކޮށްލެވިއްޖެ. ގައުމު އަނބުރާ ހަމަމަގަށް އެޅުވޭނީ އިސްލާހަށް… pic.twitter.com/eb682G0mXg

— Fayyaz Ismail (@faya_i) June 16, 2025

Fayyaz had announced the decision to contest MDP’s primary for the 2028 presidential election back in November last year. And earlier in June, Nasheed announced that he too is considering a return to office.

Nasheed, one of the founding members of the MDP, held office from 2008 until his resignation in 2012, a decision that he later said he was forced to make due to a coup by the security forces.

In 2018, he backed a successful campaign to hoist Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to power, after he was ruled out of contention due to a conviction that was later overturned.

But as it drew closer to the 2023 presidential election, tensions arose between him and Solih, both of whom eyed the MDP’s ticket for the election. The rivalry between them created a rift within the MDP, culminating into Nasheed and those loyal to him leaving the party in June 2023, to form a new party, the Democrats.

This rift is widely believed to be one of the main reasons for MDP’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election.

In December 2023, Nasheed announced he was taking “a respite from active politics” to assume a new post in Ghana as the secretary general of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF).

But in January this year, Nasheed said that he hasn’t completely moved away from politics despite his new role, and in April, he urged the MDP and Democrats to work together, saying that he believes that to be in the best interest of the country, as well as the two parties.