Former Vice President Faisal Naseem has officially announced his bid to contest the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) presidential primary for the 2028 general elections, selecting incumbent Malé City Mayor Adam Azim as his vice-presidential running mate.
The declaration, made during an opposition gathering in Malé and reported by See.mv and Maldives Independent, injects early momentum into the country's primary opposition party as it prepares for internal leadership elections scheduled for late November.
Naseem, who served as Vice President from 2018 to 2023 under the administration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, has secured the backing of influential party factions, including endorsement from senior party leaders and former parliamentary speaker Mohamed Aslam. Azim’s inclusion on the ticket consolidates support in the capital, where the mayor commands significant political capital following his decisive victory in the Malé mayoral by-election earlier this year.
Addressing supporters, Naseem framed the candidacy around unifying the opposition, defending democratic institutions, and offering practical economic solutions to alleviate mounting cost-of-living pressures on ordinary citizens. He pointed to his previous administrative tenure as evidence of collaborative governance capable of bridging differing political interests.
The announcement comes as the MDP initiates formal preparations for its 27 November National Council elections—the first internal election organized under the party's amended constitution. Party regulations require all prospective candidates to file nominations by 25 October, with voter eligibility restricted to members registered before 20 October.
Political commentators suggest the early emergence of the Naseem-Azim ticket is likely to accelerate internal deliberations within the MDP, which has been seeking to redefine its strategic direction following its loss in the 2023 presidential election and the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) landslide in the 2024 parliamentary polls.
The party's secretariat confirmed that primary scheduling and procedural guidelines will be finalized during upcoming National Council sessions. Updates on party events are published at mdp.org.mv.
