The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has amended its basic regulations to abolish the positions of party president and vice president, establishing the Chairperson as the highest-ranking post within the party.

These amendments were submitted to the MDP congress, currently underway at the Malé City Council hall, by former Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail. Along with these core changes, Fayyaz had also submitted several other proposals.

While Fayyaz's proposals received general support from the majority of members, some members highlighted their opposition to certain specific changes. These included the proposal to increase national council members from islands based on population and the change to abolish leadership positions to concentrate all authority under the Chairperson. Furthermore, some expressed concerns regarding an attempt to take a block vote on Fayyaz's amendments.

MDP Parliamentary Group Leader and South Hithadhoo MP Ibrahim Nazil also submitted an amendment to modify Fayyaz's proposals regarding party election voting and candidacy rules. Fayyaz's original proposal stated that voting rights should be restricted to members registered in the party registry three months prior to the announcement of an election or vote, while candidacy would be limited to those registered on the day the election is announced.

Nazil proposed that voting should be open to those who have been party members for three months prior to the scheduled voting day, and that elections should be announced four months before election day. Fayyaz supported these changes, and Nazil's amendment was passed by a majority of members participating in the congress.

Additionally, Kudahuvadhoo constituency president Shathir Abdulla submitted six amendments to the basic regulations. Among Shathir's notable proposals were abolishing party branches, announcing congress participants ten days in advance, barring unelected national council members from voting on no-confidence motions, transferring the power of appointing important committees from the chairperson to the national council, and retaining the current system where each island elects one member to the national council.

Out of Shathir's proposals, the congress approved the amendments to announce congress participants ten days in advance, bar unelected national council members from voting on no-confidence motions, and maintain the rule of one national council member per island.

Fayyaz's proposed amendments to the basic regulations covered leadership restructurings, appointing an additional deputy chairperson, modifying the composition of the congress, expanding national council members, and setting mandatory guidelines for the presidential candidate. Although some of these proposals underwent subsequent revisions, Fayyaz's revised package of amendments ultimately passed with 546 votes.

The most prominent leadership change in Fayyaz's proposal is the abolition of the party president and vice president posts, making the Chairperson the highest authority in the party. The new rules also bar the Chairperson from holding any other concurrent office and add a political deputy chairperson alongside the existing administrative and financial deputy chairpersons.

Fayyaz's amendments also introduced mandatory principles for the MDP's presidential candidate, which include:

  • The winner of the presidential primary must sign an agreement with the party committing to seek the advice and consultation of the national council in forming the government, formulating major policies, and implementing them if they win the national election.
  • When the party holds power in the Maldives, the President must always consult the party when formulating primary government policies.
  • The Chairperson must be appointed as the President's chief advisor.
  • If the winner of the presidential primary is a national council member, they shall retain their status as a national council member from the day the agreement is signed with the party until the day they take the oath of office as President.