Having announced his candidacy for the MDP’s upcoming presidential primary, former party president Abdulla Shahid is now in full campaign mode, running one of the most far-reaching campaigns of any declared candidate. Over the past two months, he has travelled to several major cities in the north and south of the country, meeting ordinary MDP members and sharing his policy vision.
He is not alone in the race. Former MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail has also entered the contest, and media reports indicate that former Vice President Faisal Naseem has decided to run as well. Dr. Shamheed, a member of the MDP parliamentary group, has likewise announced his candidacy.
As the primary heats up and competition intensifies, one concern weighs most heavily on ordinary MDP members: the state of the economy. With the cost of living rising by the day and prices climbing steadily, the hopes of a disillusioned public are now bound up with the country’s economic fortunes. People are running out of patience, waiting to set out in 2028 on a safe voyage with a navigator who can steer a struggling nation, now edging toward bankruptcy, to safe shores.
The greatest challenge facing the country today is a severely strained budget. The government is struggling to meet its expenditure, financing for development projects has become hard to secure, and the dollar rate has soared. Businesses and ordinary citizens are left to shoulder the burden.
Because the current government has failed to implement sound policies to stabilise the economy, international credit rating agencies have downgraded the Maldives. Securing loans for development projects and budget support, and attracting investors, has become an uphill struggle. This underscores a crucial point: the Maldives depends on strong international relationships to secure foreign assistance. It needs goodwill and solidarity with the wider world and, above all, leadership that the world’s major powers trust and respect. For a small, import-dependent island nation, the world’s trust is not optional.
Of all the candidates now campaigning in the MDP primary, many believe that Abdulla Shahid, former party president, former Speaker of the People’s Majlis, former Foreign Minister and former President of the UN General Assembly, best embodies the capability, experience and practical wisdom needed to put the Maldivian economy back on its feet. That view is not without foundation.
Consider the COVID-19 pandemic, which struck during President Solih’s administration. As the world shut down, the Maldivian economy ground to a halt, and the country’s need for financial support from foreign governments and international organisations had never been greater. At that critical moment, the Foreign Ministry stood at the forefront of securing the financial and health assistance the nation required. Shahid’s leadership in obtaining vaccines, securing budget financing and keeping essential food supplies flowing, so that no citizen was left to suffer, became central to the country’s economic response to the crisis.
His economic vision is also evident in the largest development project the Maldives has ever undertaken: the Thilamalé Bridge, now nearing completion. The bridge is the country’s most significant strategic investment and a powerful symbol of the enduring partnership between the Maldives and India. Linking Malé, Thilafushi, Gulhifalhu and Villingili, it will form the economic backbone of the Greater Malé region for generations to come.
For years, the bridge was little more than a dream. Once complete, it will ease Malé’s chronic land shortage and the heavy burden of housing rents, while opening the door to new jobs and business opportunities. The engine that turned this dream, so closely tied to the livelihoods of ordinary citizens, into reality was Shahid’s diplomacy. The financing agreements that made the project possible were the product of his persistent, hands-on work and sharp strategic thinking.
The benefits of Shahid’s experience extended well beyond the domestic economy. By raising the Maldives’ profile on the international stage, safeguarding its sovereignty, peace and security, and making it a nation whose voice carries weight, he paved the way for substantial financial assistance during the previous MDP administration. As President of the UN General Assembly, he united the voices of small island states and helped push pressing issues such as debt distress and the threat of climate change to the top of the global agenda. Engaging directly with world leaders and international financial institutions, he consistently advanced Maldivian interests and secured economic solutions for the country.
What the Maldives needs now, to steer back onto a steady course and allow ordinary citizens to stand tall again, is experience and trust: capital that can only be earned over years of work. Young people forced to seek jobs abroad, and families struggling under ever-rising prices, need to see their hopes for the future become reality.
With experience gained at home and abroad, a record of proven capability and the respect of the international community, Shahid stands ready to take the helm. The leadership he has demonstrated is precisely the economic solution the country urgently needs, and it offers a path to bring the Maldives safely to shore.
