The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) President Abdullah Shahid has announced that it will not endorse any specific candidate for the party’s mayoral ticket.
Tensions between incumbent Male’ City Mayor Adam Azim and former MP Ali Azim have escalated in recent weeks, fuelling internal debate within the party. Former President Mohamed Nasheed and his allies are backing Ali Azim, while supporters of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih are visibly aligned with Adam Azim’s campaign.
Amid speculation that the party president was also supporting Ali Azim, Shahid publicly denied the claim on Tuesday evening.
Competition within the MDP is intensifying not only for the mayoral ticket but also ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
Solih and former MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail have both expressed interest in contesting the presidency. Shahid is also seen as a potential contender, though he has not formally announced his candidacy. Fayyaz and Nasheed are currently aligned, while Shahid and Solih appear to be working together.
Solih and Nasheed fell out during the last presidential election cycle. After the two contested the MDP primary, Nasheed left the party and formed the Democrats, which fielded Ilyas Labeeb as its presidential candidate. The Democrats did not back the MDP in the second round.
Earlier in the current administration, Nasheed said he intended to participate in the government. However, after leaving the Democrats, the party’s leadership decided to rejoin the MDP later this year.