MDP Women's Wing Supports Pres. Nasheed

The ruling Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) has splintered and broken in two. MDP Leader and incumbent Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed attributed the divide to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s abandonment of the party’s long-standing policies. Both the Women’s Wing and Youth Wing of MDP backed Nasheed’s claims and the Women's Wing released a statement.

The statement published today read that MDP is the first political party to be formed in the Maldives, and since the beginning, the party has been advocating for independence in unity, the freedom of expression, establishing equality, the right to life, and abolishing torment.

The statement highlighted that one of MDP’s most important pledges during the 2018 presidential election and 2019 parliamentary elections was to bring justice to the victims of brutal deaths and disappearances and prevent the repetition of such incidents.

Additionally, it read that it was clear the brutal murders of Dr. Afrasheem, Yameen Rasheed, and Rilwan, and the assassination attempt on President Nasheed were caused by a certain group labeling these individuals and creating hate within the community. The Women’s Wing claimed that the only way to fulfill MDP’s pledge is to pass the government’s bill and criminalizing hate.

Although Maldives Democratic Party wishes to maintain a moderate religious view, the Women’s Wing stated that the party condemns acts in violation of the tenets of Islam and that they have always exercised their right to free speech without contradicting the Islamic tenets. The organization stressed that the country must not be plunged into danger, and the citizens’ hearts must not be filled with fear.

Some political figures taking advantage of calls from extremists, creating chaos within the country and hate among the public is concerning, and the government’s decision to withdraw support for the hate crime bill due to disapproval from a minority in the ruling coalition is a violation of MDP’s policies.

The statement called for the government to prioritize the rights of citizens over temporary political benefit, fulfill MDP’s pledges to the public, respect MDP’s main policies and act accordingly to make Maldives a peaceful country.