MDP's leadership will not step aside: Chairperson

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) leadership will not step aside, following its failure to gain a majority in the 22 March parliamentary election, the party’s chairperson Reeko Moosa Manik has said.

“I don’t believe that the leadership should step back when we lose an election. I should step aside if MDP lost the election due to my direct negligence or disregard,” Moosa Manik said.

The chairperson’s comments follow a statement by former president Mohamed Nasheed, two days after the general election, that MDP needs a fresh leadership to strengthen the party.

The party is organizing an internal audit that might shed light to why the party lost the recent election, Moosa said.

“If we keep losing elections repeatedly, we have to look into it. An audit is being arranged in this regard,” Moosa said.

Some MDP members stood as independents in the March 22 parliamentary election. The chairperson said MDP will decide on a manner to deal with the members after the internal audit is concluded.

The party is trying to conduct a national congress soon, Moosa said, and the MDP leadership will see “automatic” changes with the newly elected MPs moving into more prominent positions, he said.

Former president Mohamed Nasheed lost to Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate, incumbent president Abdulla Yameen in the November 2013 presidential election. PPM gained 33 of the 85 seats in the recent parliamentary election, where MDP managed to secure 26 seats. The ruling coalition also managed to gain a majority in the local council elections held in February this year.