Parties to receive MVR 27mn in state funding; PNC will get MVR 13mn

Five political parties are set to receive state funding this year, with the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) set to receive the highest amount – with a little over MVR 13 million.

According to the Political Parties Act, the state is required to distribute an amount equivalent to 0.1 percent of the revenue in the annual state budget among parties that have 10,000 members or more.

In a statement on Thursday, the Elections Commission (EC) said that in accordance with this legal provision, MVR 27,981,256 will be distributed among five political parties this year.

The money is being distributed based on membership figures as of November 27, 2024 – when the Parliament approved a budget of MVR 56.6 billion for this year.

Five political parties are eligible for state funding this year; ruling PNC, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Jumhoory Party (JP), Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), and Adhaalath Party (AP).

• PNC: 13,316,689.57
• MDP: 8,454,780.51
• JP: 2,656,598.57
• MDA: 1,769,648.69
• AP: 1,713,538.65

The EC said that the figures were calculated after deducting outstanding fines before disbursing the funding. As such, all five parties, except for the MDP, have outstanding fines for violations. AP has an outstanding fine of MVR 35,000, JP has an outstanding fine of MVR 15,000, and PNC and MDA have outstanding fines of MVR 10,000 each.

2025 ވަނަ އަހަރުގެ ބަޖެޓުން ސިޔާސީ ޕާޓީތަކަށް ދޫކުރުމަށް ކަނޑައަޅާފައިވާ ފައިސާ ބެހިފައިވާގޮތުގެ ތަފްސީލް pic.twitter.com/1FHP8peMNg

— Elections Commission (@ElectionsMv) April 10, 2025

Political parties will be receiving MVR 193.23 per member this year.

EC’s records show the five parties had 144,808 members between them by the end of last year. The PNC – which had just 3,000 members when it came to power in 2023 – now has the highest number of members with 68,968.

The rise in membership of the PNC came amid allegations the party used fraudulent forms to boost its membership in order to get more funding from the state.

The MDP - which said it received complaints from over 3,000 people regarding fake membership forms to the PNC in their name using old national ID card photos, and forged signatures and fingerprints – lodged a police case in January over the issue.

It also lodged a corruption case with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) after photos emerged showing senior government officials filling PNC forms in a meeting room at the Department of National Registration (DNR).

The PNC admitted to submitting several unverified membership forms to the Elections Commission. But they said it hasn’t been deliberate, and that the party lacks the capacity to verify forms.

The EC suspended the membership process as it investigates the recent issue of fake forms, and in February, digitalize the political party membership process so that people can only apply for membership via eFaas.