MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik announced his resignation as chairperson of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) at a meeting of the party’s national council today, which also saw former President Mohamed Nasheed appointed MDP’s acting president.
At the conclusion of today’s meeting, the outgoing chairperson said he decided to resign because he believed in democratic principles, urging other members in the party’s leadership to follow his example.
He added that former President Nasheed was in charge of the MDP’s election campaigns, which were conducted based on “his instructions and under his supervision.”
Moosa assured council members that there was no “negligence” on his part that was to blame for the MDP’s losses.
Today’s meeting was called to discuss restructuring and reforms following electoral defeats in the presidential and parliamentary polls, and to decide a date for the party’s next congress.
MP Moosa Manik announced his resignation at the start of the council meeting in Dharubaaruge this afternoon.
In the wake of the party’s poor performance in the Majlis elections, Nasheed told the press that the leadership should bear responsibility and called for new leaders to take the party’s helm.
The main opposition party fielded 85 candidates and won 26 seats in the March 22 elections, while the ruling Progressive Coalition secured a comfortable majority.
The coalition’s numbers in parliament grew to a two-thirds majority with yesterday’s defection of MDP MP-elect Mohamed Musthafa to the Progressive Party of Maldives.
A resolution to appoint Nasheed acting president was adopted with the support of 47 members out of the 54 in attendance at today’s council meeting.
The post of the MDP’s president has been vacant since the national council removed former party president Dr Ibrahim Didi with a no-confidence vote in April 2012.
The MDP national council today also decided to hold the party’s congress on June 6 and 7.
Among other decisions approved today, the national council voted to form a three-member committee to study reforms (Dhivehi) suggested by a group of party members. The committee consists of Youth Wing President Aminath Shauna, Ali Niyaz, and Ahmed Mujthaba.
A proposal by MP Ahmed Hamza to appoint members to vacant leadership posts within the next six months and a proposal by former National Social Protection Agency Chairman Ibrahim Waheed to make former presidents elected to office on the party’s ticket permanent members of the council were also passed.
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Resolutions passed;
1. A motion to appoint Ex-President Mohamed Nasheed the Acting (i.e. unelected) President of MDP.
2. A motion to grant permanent membership of MDP's National Council to "presidents elected to office on MDP's ticket" (i.e. Nasheed).
I see that PPM-style internal democracy is taking root in the Maldives. 😀
Nasheed does not know what the democracy is ?
MDP is Kenerry ge party and name need to change .
As long as Nasheed is there m MDP will never be able to win any election and the guy is a failure.
Reeco has done good job and Reeco had shown the how democrats should act and work.
It seems mr. tsk tsk, educated as he is, is sadly unaware of the concept of popular support.
Or maybe he's just mad that no one voted for him to be MDP's new president.
Alhough it is the MDP who holds the honours for introducing democracy and change to Maldives, it's approach has some serious flaws. MDP itself is inconsistent and have given mixed messages.
MDP portrayed itself as a grassroots party with grassroots ideology in image, but in actual its ideology is more anti-establishment than anything else. Eg, Changing Island Katheebs (a centuries old institution) to councils and counselor system is too radical a change.
Similarly, taking too extreme liberal positions on foreign policy, business liberalization, foreign investment and environment did not play well with grass roots sentiments. PPM really capitalized on such things and proved PPM as the grass roots party
MDP needs to earn back the trust as the grassroots party if it were to revive
Reeko is only a tool that was used to kick up tempo in rallies.
MDP now needs brains. Strategists and realistic plans formulated.
Gone are the days for ranters.
Now it's head to head with strategists calling shots.
The only thing that changes this game are the bearded camels. Don't ruffle their butts!
Andrew Andreas, was it necessary to say bearded camels? Something psychologically is wrong with you. I cannot remember reading a single comment of you without noticing a word of insult to islam, or some muslims. Do you know if Andrew Andreas, the portugueseman had a beard? I wonder how would it be if you happen to live upto 90 years old and when you become weaker. Of course you may be able to hold a laptop or another gadget of that era, and continue to writes world of insult. The question is would that be the best thing for you even in that age? If that is not the best in that age, then how come it could be the best thing in your current age? Surely, lot of your energy is being wasted.
@ Mohamed is 100% right.
mohamed,
did you just reduce islam to a bearded camel? wtf kinda sect are you following??
do camels even have beards?
it is a good thing that mdp has accepted popular demand for internal reform. mr.tskutscash , observe and learn. insha allah mdp will get restructured as a functional and living political party.
then your arresting of 'senior' members will not do anything to the party. but this wont be enough. we need to reform ppm and jp as well. but i dont think that will happen in the dear leaders' life tiem.
@Mohamed on Thu, 3rd Apr 2014 6:43 AM
Yep. Some is wrong with me. I just can't stand camels ranters intimidating young girls into marriage, mothers and fathers borrowing out of their depth, just to donate to Saudi billionaires so that they, the Saudis, can spent millions on luxury trips, above all paying delusional pawns to start and continue to fight in the name of gods.
Seriously how deluded can you be not to see what's in front of your eyes?
Yep, I am psychologically defective.
Bearded camel, wth does it mean? Lol