Hassan Latheef wins approval poll as Chairperson of MDP

Al-Usthaz Hassan Latheef has won approval as Chairperson of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in a country-wide poll on Friday.

Hassan Latheef was the only candidate to apply for Chairperson position after Ali Waheed – living in self-exile in UK – resigned from the position in late 2016.

MDP’s Constitution dictates that Hassan Latheef needed a minimum 5,000 votes in a yes/no poll in order to secure his position.

Interim results from the 150 of the 202 ballot boxes counted so far shows Hassan Latheef has received 23,188 yes-votes and 160 no-votes.

The 202 ballot boxes were kept across the country and in neighboring Sri Lanka.

After being elected the Chairperson, Hassan Latheef vowed to work on whipping the party into shape and working on ensuring former President Mohamed Nasheed is eligible to compete in Presidential Election 2018.

Nasheed has announced he will compete in MDP primary to win the party ticket for the presidential election. And that no one will be competing in the election on behalf of MDP if his candidacy is rejected.

Hassan Latheef worked as Minister of Youth and Sports in Nasheed’s administration, and was part of his legal team during his arbitrary detention trial.