Nasheed signs up supporters for ‘Fikuregge Dhirun’ branch

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader Mohamed Nasheed, who recently lost the party’s presidential primary, has begun signing up people to secure support for the formation of a separate branch within the party under the name ‘Fikuregge Dhirun’.

Following the election defeat to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Nasheed said he does not believe President Solih could win the presidential election for MDP. He is working on creating a branch of his supporters, and launching a separate political movement within the party itself.

Nasheed’s campaign team is gathering signatures of people who support the formation of ‘Fikuregge Dhirun’. The activities are being attended by Nasheed himself.

However, Nasheed’s campaign team isn’t using the branch formation request form issued by MDP. The address listed in the forms is his own address, G. Kenereege, and the forms are being filled and collected at his campaign office.

Central Maafannu MP Ibrahim Rasheed (Bonde), a leading figure in the ‘Fikuregge Dhirun’ campaign, told Sun on Thursday that the forms were being used to collect information on people who wish to join the branch before they submit an official form with MDP.

“Given the rigging of membership register and stuff, we will take this to party headquarters after everything is arranged,” he said.

Following his election defeat, Nasheed said he wanted to form a separate branch and that a presidential candidate the branch would support would be decided later.

However, according to MDP’s constitution, the party’s branches are an organ based on a unified political ideology. The constitution also prohibits the party’s members from working against its presidential candidate.