EC: PPM, MDA not required to provide fingerprints

Elections Commission (EC) has said that the two government coalition parties, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), are not required to provide fingerprints on membership forms.

EC Member Ahmed Akram told Sun Online that PPM and MDA were formed after 2010, and only the parties that were established before 2010 - and hence before the Political Parties Act came into effect - are required to complete the membership forms by providing fingerprints.

Earlier, EC notified the main opposition party, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), to provide fingerprints of 23,058 members, including former President Mohamed Nasheed.

MDP has a total of 46,608 registered members.

Similarly, Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has been notified to provide fingerprints of 10,000 members, Adhaalath Party (AP) 2,866 members, and Jumhooree Party (JP) 2,764 members.