On Monday night, the National Council of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) approved the selection of former Vice President Mohamed Shifaz for the open role of Deputy Chairperson (Financial).

The leadership framework of the MDP comprises two Deputy Chairpersons, one managing administrative tasks and the other handling financial issues.

The party’s Chairperson and former President Mohamed Nasheed presented Shifaz’s nomination at a National Council meeting. His appointment received approval from 30 of the 34 members who were present at the session.

A close ally of former president Nasheed, Shifaz stepped down as MDP’s Vice President due to internal rifts that surfaced after the party’s 2023 presidential primary. He later took a key role in founding 'The Democrats' and worked as the party’s Vice President with various Nasheed supporters. Shifaz subsequently stepped down from The Democrats and reentered the MDP on January 12 of the previous year. In his earlier role as MDP’s Vice President, Nasheed was the party’s President.

The role of Deputy Chairperson (Financial) is now open after the resignation of former Ihavandhoo MP Ahmed Abdulla last Wednesday. In his resignation addressed to President Nasheed, Ahmed mentioned that he was resigning to engage in the campaign for the party’s former president Abdulla Shahid, who has declared his intention to run in the forthcoming presidential primary.

Ahmed indicated that party leaders, such as Presidents, Vice Presidents, Chairpersons, and Deputy Chairpersons, must protect the rights of every candidate fairly. He pointed out that campaigning actively for a specific candidate while in such a role would undermine neutrality.