The original Montserrat Democratic Party was established in 1958 and led by Eric Kelsick.
[1] In the May 1958 elections, it put forward two candidates, but received only 12% of the vote and failed to win a seat.
[2] In the elections held later that year, it received 24.4% of the vote, winning one seat in the Legislative Council.
Following the elections, it joined a coalition government with the New People's Liberation Movement and an independent MP.
Although the NPLM had won three seats, MDP leader Lowell Lewis became Chief Minister.