Description: The
Maldivian Democratic Party (
MDP) is the political party of
the Maldives. It was founded with the purpose of promoting
human rights and democracy in
the Maldives.
MDP initially submitted its registration on February 24, 2001. Although the
Maldivian Constitution allows political parties to operate,
MDP's application was rebuffed. Shortly after the 2003
Maldives civil riots and the death of
Evan Naseem,
MDP declared its existence in exile from
Sri Lanka on November 10, 2003. Initially, it was formed by a group of 42 people, which included members of parliament, a former cabinet minister and leading businessmen. Members on its first general council were elected on February 13, 2004. Since then, the
MDP's major activities have focused on encouraging
nonviolent resistance to
the Maldivian government and promoting awareness of what it believes are
human rights violations.Although
MDP was not recognized by
the Maldivian government, it began operating in
Maldives on April 30, 2005, with its Chairperson
Mohamed Nasheed (
Anni) returning to the country from exile.