MDP Congress Formally Endorses ‘Bodu Badhalu’ Reform Agenda and Overhauls Party Charter

The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) wrapped up its fifth National Congress by overwhelmingly passing former Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail’s sweeping “Bodu Badhalu” (Major Change) policy agenda, laying out the party’s roadmap to reshape the state’s governance structure and overhaul its internal charter.

Out of 563 delegates present, 520 voted in favor of the “Bodu Badhalu” resolution. Former Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb supported the resolution, which was presented by Fayyaz during the congress’s core deliberations.

Presenting the paper, Fayyaz emphasized that separating the roles of head of state and head of government does not mean shifting to a parliamentary system. Instead, the proposal aims to prevent the concentration of executive power in a single person while ensuring the public continues to directly elect the government.

Fayyaz pointed out that the constitutional checks and balances are failing under the current administration. With the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) holding a supermajority in the People’s Majlis, parliamentary oversight has been crippled, leaving rights guaranteed by the Constitution under executive control.

He highlighted that allowing a simple legislative majority to dismiss Supreme Court judges severely undermines judicial independence. He added that political influence over the appointment and removal of members in independent bodies—such as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the Human Rights Commission (HRCM)—has stripped these oversight bodies of their independence.

Delegates also passed a comprehensive Decentralization Policy paper presented by Ali Niyaz, Chair of the MDP Decentralization Committee and former Hulhumalé MP. Developed in consultation with the Local Government Authority and municipal stakeholders, the policy introduces reforms across five main areas:

• Voting Rights: Transitioning from permanent address registration to allowing residents to vote for councilors in the island or city where they actually live.
• Financial Empowerment: Mandating a 15 percent block grant from state revenue to local councils, alongside a 20 percent share of the Green Fund, 50 percent of land lease revenues, 5 percent of central taxes, and access to sovereign guarantees and regional community banks.
• Jurisdiction & Resources: Establishing island and atoll jurisdictions within the Constitution and handing local natural resource ownership directly to councils.
• Administrative Reforms: Re-establishing Atoll Councils, granting councils full hiring and promotion authority, making council members part-time positions (excluding the President and Vice President), and abolishing Women’s Development Committees (WDCs) to mandate equal gender seat allocation on municipal councils directly.

Addressing internal management, Fayyaz explained that the proposed constitutional amendments stemmed from direct member feedback across the country following defeats in the 2023 presidential election and 2024 parliamentary elections.

Key internal reforms approved at the congress include:

• Leadership Restructuring: Abolishing the positions of Party President and Vice President, establishing the Chairperson as the highest authority in the party, and creating three Deputy Chairperson positions, with one designated specifically for a female member.
• Streamlined Membership: Eliminating local branches as mere delegate-selection tools and restricting primary voting rights strictly to members who joined at least 90 days before an election.
• Elected Governing Body: Eliminating un-elected National Council seats to ensure the governing body is fully elected and financially independent, with strict rules against paying council members from party funds.
• Government Alignment: Requiring future MDP presidential candidates to sign an accord committing to consult the National Council on policy formation and cabinet appointments. The charter also designates the Chairperson as Senior Advisor to the President during an MDP administration and mandates consultation with local steering committees when making political appointments.