New Delhi: A split in the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) helped propel Mohamed Muizzu to power in 2023. As the opposition party prepares to choose its candidate for 2028, Abdulla Shahid, its former president and foreign minister who has entered the race for its presidential nomination, has urged the party to avoid a repeat of that division and warned that Muizzu could revive his anti-India narrative ahead of the election.Shahid, who served as president of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, also told The Wire on a visit to the Indian capital that he expected MDP chairperson Mohamed Nasheed to be fair to all contenders in the primary, even though Nasheed has backed another candidate, former economic development minister Fayyaz Ismail.“I believe that President Nasheed will be fair. I believe that he will be fair to all the candidates,” Shahid said.Shahid resigned as MDP president in August to contest the primary, saying it would not be fair to seek the party’s nomination while holding its top post. The contest for the MDP’s presidential nomination has intensified with former party chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, former vice-president Faisal Naseem, Shahid and South Hulhumalé MP Ahmed Shamheed announcing their candidacies. Former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is also reportedly considering a bid. Nasheed has publicly backed Ismail, while Naseem has claimed to have the support of Solih.Shahid’s appeal for neutrality comes against the backdrop of a bitter history of factional conflict within the MDP. Nasheed left the party after losing the 2023 presidential primary to Solih and formed The Democrats, which contested the presidential election separately. The split deepened divisions within the opposition ahead of the election, which Muizzu won after defeating Solih in the second round.Nasheed and his associates subsequently returned to the MDP, and he regained the party chairmanship this year. “I am relieved that President Nasheed is back, that the Democrats have come back. In unity we have strength. And I think the MDP members, we have one family, so we are together,” Shahid said.He warned against another split following the primary, saying he hoped the party leadership had learnt from the 2023 experience. “Many people talk about that we are going to have another primary and there is going to be another split. My hope is that we have learned,” he said, adding that the leadership needed to ensure members rallied behind whoever won the nomination.“We have been divided once and suffered the consequences. Let us not repeat that,” he said.In this image released by @narendramodi on X on July 26, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu during the 60th Independence Day celebrations of Maldives, in Male, Maldives, Saturday, July 26, 2025. Photo: Via PTI.Muizzu’s election victory in 2023, fought on an ‘India Out’ campaign platform, was followed by tensions with New Delhi over Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives. The two governments subsequently worked to repair relations, but the question of how Male balances its ties with India and other partners remains critical.Asked whether the split alone explained the MDP’s defeat, Shahid said there had been several reasons, including “hatred created by Muizzu and President Yameen and ultra-nationalism which blinds everyone”. But the political hostility has not dissipated. “That kind of damage will be very difficult to come out”.The contest comes as the MDP seeks to challenge Muizzu’s government on both domestic policy and its handling of foreign relations. The party has also secured gains in recent local council elections, while voters rejected Muizzu’s proposal to hold parliamentary and local council elections simultaneously in a referendum.IndiaFor India, the outcome matters because the Maldives occupies a strategically important position in the Indian Ocean, close to key maritime routes, and has long been a major recipient of Indian development assistance and emergency support.Shahid rejected the suggestion that the MDP’s close relationship with India made it politically vulnerable. “I am not aligned to one country. I am an internationalist,” he said.He argued that India’s proximity and its role as a longstanding partner made close relations necessary, rather than a liability.“The Maldivian people are aligned with India. Because India has been the first responder,” he said. “India has always been there consistently, our friend. And India is our immediate neighbour.”“There is nothing wrong recognising the time-tested historical bond that exists between our two peoples,” he added, saying the relationship was something the Maldives should continue to celebrate.Shahid also argued that the MDP should continue the foreign policy pursued during its previous administration, particularly its close relationship with India.“I hope all MDP candidates will back the foreign policy that has been maintained throughout,” he said.His comments came days after Muizzu concluded a state visit to Pakistan from October 20 to 22. The visit was the first high-level bilateral engagement between the two countries in more than a decade. Also read: Maldives President Muizzu Visits Pakistan, Reiterates Call For SAARC’s RevivalThe defence and maritime-security components of the agreements are of particular interest to India, given the Maldives’ location and New Delhi’s longstanding security role in the archipelago. India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on October 23 that the government was monitoring developments. “We keep a close watch on such developments and will take whatever appropriate steps may be necessary,” he saidShahid suggested that Muizzu’s Pakistan outreach could reflect an attempt to revive the political messaging that helped bring him to power in 2023.“Maybe he is getting ready for 2028 elections (with) that same narrative,” he said.How the Maldives’ foreign relationships spill into domestic politics is also evident in the debate over the proposed Rasmale’ development project involving UAE-based developer Eagle Hills, which has become a sensitive issue within the MDP itself. The total value of the proposed investment at $20 billion is, as per reports, more than double Maldives’ nominal GDP.Opposition lawmakers have strongly criticised the deal, but recently Nasheed cautioned that criticism of Eagle Hills founder Mohamed Alabbar could damage the MDP’s ties with the UAE.Shahid questioned the lack of information about the agreement, pointing to the nearly US$800 million that he said had been spent on reclaiming the island and argued that the public has not been told enough about the terms of the mega deal. “We have no idea what is in the agreement with Eagle Hills,” Shahid said.He argued that the lack of transparency could also concern other potential investors. “It’s not only Eagle Hills. All investors will be concerned. There has to be transparency.”He asserted that he was not opposed to foreign investment, but maintained that agreements involving major projects had to be open to public scrutiny. He also noted that government’s original promise that the reclaimed island would be used for social housing. “His (Miuzzi’s) promise to the people is that this island is going to be for social housing. So he should keep this promise,” Shahid said.