There had not been political parties in the Maldives since 1952. The MDP initially submitted its registration on 24 February 2001. In 2001, the party's first president was Qasim Ibrahim. Although the Maldivian Constitution allows political parties to operate, the MDP's application was rebuffed. After the people fighting for their rights on the street and the death of Evan Naseem, MDP declared its existence in exile from Sri Lanka on 10 November 2003. Initially, it was formed by a group of 42 people, which included members of parliament, a former cabinet minister and leading businessmen. Members on its first general council were elected on 13 February 2004. Although the MDP was not recognized by the Maldivian government, it began operating in Maldives on 30 April 2005. In 2 June 2005, the members of the People's Majlis unanimously voted to legally recognize political parties. The MDP subsequently submitted its registration on 26 June 2005, becoming the first political party to be registered in the Second Republic of Maldives. Throughout 2006, the opposition faced restrictions on freedom of assembly, and the government continued to arrest opposition activists. In March 2006, the government introduced a "Roadmap for Reform" and subsequently introduced several bills in parliament. In August 2007, voters decided via referendum that the Maldives' new constitution should provide for a presidential system of government. The special Majlis completed its work and the new constitution took effect in August 2008. In accordance with the new constitution ratified by then-President Gayoom on 7 August 2008, the first round of presidential elections was held on 10 October 2008. As no candidate received 50% of the vote, a second round was held on 29 October between President Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed won with 54% of the vote. At the first multi-party parliamentary elections in Maldives, on 9 May 2009, the MDP won 26 out of the 77 seats in the parliament, netting the second-most seats. However,the MDP gained the most votes, with a total of 35.3% which is a 10.39% increase from the first round of 2008 presidential elections when the MDP was allied with other parties. From the elections, Gayoom's DRP gained 27.5% of the votes which is a 12.5% decrease from the first round of the 2008 presidential elections.
