Elections Commission reinstates 8 political parties

Elections Commission (EC) has included 8 political parties in the political party registry after removing them in February for failing to maintain a minimum of 3,000 members.

EC said that following a Supreme Court ruling that said that the parties still existed as political entities in the Maldives, the commission decided to reinstate the parties and declared that the parties were no longer dissolved.

The 8 parties reinstated by EC are; Islamic Democratic Party (IDP), Maldives Social Democratic Party, Social Liberal Party, People’s Party, Maldives National Congress, People’s Alliance and Maldivian Labour Party.

EC had earlier said that most of the smaller parties are inactive and that did not maintain offices or file the required audit reports. Registered political parties in the Maldives receive funds from the State.