Hisaan nominated as MDP’s new deputy leader

Hisaan Hussain, a former lawmaker and current legal director at the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), has been nominated for the post of the party’s deputy leader.

In a post on X on Monday afternoon, MDP’s leader Abdulla Shahid said that he has decided to appoint Hisaan to the long-vacant post, and filed for approval from the party’s national council for the appointment, as required by the party’s standing orders.

Shahid, who served as foreign minister in the last MDP administration, condemned Hisaan for years of uninterrupted service to the party.

 “Based on the numerous sincere services Uz. Hisaan Hussain has rendered to this party and its members, I believe she is the most suitable person for this role,” he said.

Shahid added that one of the things that guided his decision was the current lack of women in leadership positions within the MDP.

އެމްޑީޕީގެ ނައިބު ރައީސްގެ މަގާމަށް މަޖިލީހުގެ ތުޅާދޫ ދާއިރާގެ ކުރީގެ މެމްބަރު އަދި @MDPSecretariat އަށް މެދުކެނޑުމެއް ނެތި ގިނަ ދުވަސްތަކެއް ވަންދެން ޚިދުމަތްކޮށްދެއްވަމުންގެންދަވާ، ޕާރޓީގެ ލީގަލް ޑިރެކްޓަރު އަލްއުސްތާޒާ @hisaanhussain އައްޔަން ކުރުމަށް ގަސްތުކޮށް، އެކަމަނާ އެ… pic.twitter.com/evMwQfMI50

— Abdulla Shahid (@abdulla_shahid) July 8, 2024

Hisaan has a Master of Laws (LLM) focused on Commercial Law from Cardiff University in Wales. She is the managing partner at the Align Consultancy LLP, and has represented top MDP leaders in legal battles.

In 2019, She was elected to the Parliament as the representative of the Thulhaadhoo constituency – in an election in which the then-ruling MDP secured a landslide victory. During her time at the Parliament, Hisaan was parliamentary appointee to the Judicial Service Commission, and went on to get elected as the commission’s president.

But she decided against running for re-election this year, unlike her husband, Ibrahim Nazil, who was re-elected as the South Hithadhoo MP in April. He currently serves as MDP’s parliamentary group leader.

The role of MDP’s deputy leader has been vacant since Mohamed Shifaz, along with a dozen other prominent politicians, walked out of MDP to form the Democrats in May last year. The creation of Democrats had been the culmination of months of infighting between members aligned with former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed and then-president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih – both of them founding members of the MDP.

According to Elections Commission’s records, the MDP, the Maldives’ biggest and longest-running political party, has 51,516 members.