Yellow wave sweeps MDP to historic 65-seat haul

MP-elect for Central Machchangoalhi Mohamed Nasheed is the first former president to be elected to parliament.

Opposition heavyweights including PPM parliamentary group leader Ahmed Nihan and PNC president Abdul Raheem Abdulla lost their re-election bids. Former vice president Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed came third in the Vilimalé race.

Some 44 incumbents – 17 PPM-PNC MPs, 12 JP MPs, 13 independents, one Adhaalath MP, and MDP MP Mohamed Mustafa – failed to win re-election.

Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s son Ghassan Maumoon won on a PPM ticket after competing against a candidate endorsed by his father. His older brother MP Faris Maumoon – who was jailed for long periods after leading a breakaway PPM faction against his uncle Yameen – failed to win the Machchangoalhi North seat in the capital.

Former MP Abdul Muhsin Hameed was the only candidate endorsed by Gayoom’s Maldives Reform Movement to win a seat.

Only four out of 35 female candidates won seats. They are MDP MPs Eva Abdulla and Rozaina Adam and newcomers Hisaan Hussain, a prominent lawyer who will represent the Baa Thulhaadhoo constituency, and Jeehan Mahmoud, a former human rights commissioner who takes President Solih’s old Lhaviyani Hinnavaru seat.

There will be two couples in parliament as Rozaina and Hisaan’s husbands – MP-elect for Thaa Kinbidhoo Mohamed Nashiz and MP-elect for Hithadhoo South Ibrahim Nazil – were also elected on MDP tickets.

Nazil won the Addu City seat with the biggest margin of victory with 70 percent of the vote. The second and third highest were MDP MPs Eva Abdulla (70 percent) and Imthiyaz Fahmy (66 percent).

After fielding nine candidates, the ruling coalition’s Adhaalath Party failed to win a seat despite the MDP candidate for Alif Dhaalu Mahibadhoo dropping out and endorsing the AP candidate. The religious conservative party’s only lawmaker, Anara Naeem, was defeated in her Makunudhoo constituency.

Of the 12 former ruling party lawmakers who were stripped of their seats in 2017 and barred from entering parliament until the Supreme Court reinstated them last October, only Gaaf Alif Villigili MP Saud Hussain won re-election. There was a backlash last November when some of the reinstated lawmakers claimed they were assured coalition tickets without a primary.

Former MP Abdulla Jabir won his old Kaashidhoo seat. The resort owner contested as an independent after losing the MDP primary. His candidacy was secured after the Supreme Court struck down provisions in the political party law that barred primary losers from challenging the party’s candidate.

Other wealthy businessmen such as JP leader Gasim Ibrahim, ‘Sun Travel’ Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, and ‘Red Wave’ Ahmed Saleem retained their seats for a third consecutive term.

Haa Alif Hoarafushi – Ahmed Saleem (MDP)

Haa Alif Ihavandhoo – Mohamed Shifau (MDP)

Haa Alif Baarah – Ahmed Abdulla (MDP)

Haa Alif Dhidhdhoo – Abdulla Waheed (MDP)

Haa Alif Kelaa – Ibrahim Shareef (MDP)

Haa Dhaal Hanimaadhoo – Abdul Gafoor Moosa (MDP)

Haa Dhaal Nolhivaram – Mohamed Nasheed Abdulla (IND)

Haa Dhaal Vaikaradhoo – Hussain Ziyad ‘Fittey’ (MDP)

Haa Dhaal Kulhudhuffushi North – Yasir Abdul Latheef (MDP)

Haa Dhaal Kulhudhuffushi South – Jamsheed Mohamed (MDP)

Haa Dhaal Makunudhoo – Mohamed Raee (MDP)

Shaviyani Kanditheemu – Abdulla Shaheem Abdul Hakeem (MDP)

Shaviyani Milandhoo – Ali Riza ‘Ayya’ (MDP)

Shaviyani Komandoo – Hussain Waheed (MDP)

Shaviyani Funadhoo – Mohamed Shahid ‘Shaad’ (MDP)

Noonu Kendhikulhudhoo – Ahmed Easa (MDP)

Noonu Manadhoo – Ahmed Haroon ‘Bagey’ (MDP)

Noonu Velidhoo – Mohamed Abdulla Shafeeq (MDP)

Noonu Holhudhoo – Yoonus Ali ‘Yooney’ (MDP)

Raa Alifushi – Mohamed Rasheed Hussain ‘Bigey’ (MDP)

Raa Ungoofaaru – Mohamed Waheed ‘Waddey’ (MDP)

Raa Dhuvaafaru – Ismail Ahmed ‘Isse’ (MDP)

Raa Inguraidhoo – Hassan Ahmed ‘Hassantey’ (MDP)

Raa Madduvvari – Adam Shareef (PNC)

Baa Thulhaadhoo – Hisaan Hussain (MDP)

Baa Eydhafushi – Ahmed ‘Redwave’ Saleem (PPM)

Baa Kendhoo – Ali Hussain (JP)

Lhaviyani Hinnavaru – Jeehan Mahmood (MDP)

Lhaviyani Naifaru – Ahmed Shiyam (PPM)

Lhaviyani Kurendhoo – Abdul Ghani Abdul Hakeem (MDP)

Kaafu Kaashidhoo – Abdulla Jabir (IND)

Kaafu Thulusdhoo – Ibrahim Naseem (IND)

Kaafu Guraidhoo – Ibrahim Riza (PPM)

Alif Alif Mathiveri – Hassan Zareer (MDP)

Alif Alif Thoddoo – Hassan Shiyan (MDP)

Alif Dhaal Maamigili – Gasim Ibrahim (JP)

Alif Dhaal Mahibadhoo – Ahmed Thoriq ‘Tom’ (PPM)

Alif Dhaal Dhangethi – Mohamed ‘Colonel’ Nazim (JP)

Vaavu Felidhoo – Fazul Rasheed (PNC)

Vaavu Keyodhoo – Hussain Gasim (MDP)

Meemu Dhiggaru – Ikram Hassan (MDP)

Meemu Mulah – Ibrahim Naseer (MDP)

Faafu Bileydhoo – Ahmed Haleem ‘Dhonbileiy’ (MDP)

Faafu Nilandhoo – Abdul Muhsin Hameed ‘J4’ (IND)

Dhaalu Meedhoo – Ahmed Siyam Mohamed (MDA)

Dhaalu Kudahuvadhoo – Ahmed Amir (MDA)

Thaa Vilufushi – Hassan Afeef (MDP)

Thaa Thimarafushi – Abdulla Riyaz (JP)

Thaa Kinbidhoo – Mohamed Naashiz ‘Naanu’ (MDP)

Thaa Guraidhoo – Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon (PPM)

Laamu Isdhoo – Ali Hameed (JP)

Laamu Gan – Mohamed Wisam ‘Sampath’ (MDP)

Laamu Fonadhoo – Moosa Siraj (MDP)

Laamu Maavah – Mohamed Saeed (PNC)*

Gaaf Alif Viligili – Saud Hussain (IND)

Gaaf Alif Dhaandhoo – Yaugoob Abdulla (MDP)

Gaaf Alif Gemanafushi – Ahmed Saeed (MDP)

Gaaf Dhaal Thinadhoo North – Abdul Mughnee (MDP)

Gaaf Dhaal Thinadhoo South – Abdulla Saneef ‘Sanna’ (MDP)

Gaaf Dhaal Madaveli – Hussain Firushaan (MDP)

Gaaf Dhaal Faresmaathodaa – Hussain Mohamed Latheef (IND)

Gaaf Dhaal Gadhdhoo – Ahmed Zahir (MDP)

Fuvahmulah North – Mohamed Rasheed (MDP)

Central Fuvahmulah – Hussain Mohamed Didi ‘Huseynu’ (MDP)

Fuvahmulah South – Mohamed Mumthaz (MDP)

Hulhudhoo – Ilyas Labeeb (MDP)

Feydhoo – Mohamed Nihad (MDP)

Maradhoo – Ibrahim Shareef (MDP)

Hithadhoo North – Mohamed Aslam (MDP)

Central Hithadhoo – Ahmed Rasheed (MDP)

Hithadhoo South – Ibrahim Nazil (MDP)

Addu Meedhoo – Rozaina Adam (MDP)

Hulhumalé – Ali Niyaz (MDP)

Central Henveiru – Ali Azim (MDP)

Henveiru South – Hussain ‘Andhun’ Shaheem (MDP)

Henveiru North – Ibrahim Muizzu ‘Muni’ (MDP)

Galolhu North – Eva Abdulla (MDP)

Galolhu South – Mickail Ahmed Naseem (MDP

Machchangoalhi North – Mohamed Rasheed ‘Bodhigu’ (MDP)

Machchangoalhi South – Ahmed Haitham (MDP)

Maafannu North – Imthiyaz Fahmy ‘Inthi’ (MDP)

Maafannu West – Mohamed Falah ‘Fala’ (MDP)

Central Maafannu  – Ibrahim Rasheed ‘Bondey’ (MDP)

Maafannu South – Adam Ali ‘Adanko’ (MDP)

Vilimalé – Ahmed Usham (IND)

Henveiru West – Hassan Latheef (MDP)

Central Machchangoalhi – Mohamed Nasheed (MDP)