Nasheed: MDP came and transformed Maldives

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) came and transformed Maldives, states Mohamed Nasheed, the leader of MDP and former Maldivian president.

Nasheed, who also serves as the Parliament speaker, made the remark in a tweet on Sunday morning, congratulating MDP members and supporters on occasion of the party’s 17th anniversary.

“MDP transformed Maldives, especially with the introduction of a tax system, the increase in generation of state income, and by providing the people with social security,” he said.

During the campaign for the parliamentary elections in 2019, Nasheed said MDP was the only party capable of introducing a tax system in Maldives. The introduction of income tax had been one of MDP’s key pledges during the 2018 presidential elections and the 2019 parliamentary elections.

MDP won the elections and the Parliament, which the party now enjoys supermajority in, passed the income tax bill in December 2019, with a majority vote of 67 out of 70 parliamentarians.

While Nasheed himself has yet to announce candidacy for the 2023 presidential elections, his niece, deputy speaker Eva Abdulla said Nasheed would run in the elections.

Meanwhile, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has also announced he intends to run for re-election.

MDP’s constitution currently requires for MDP presidents to be given chance to run for a second term.

The rivalry between Nasheed and Solih has created two factions within MDP. However, Nasheed said that despite the difference of opinion, the priority was that MDP retained power.