Nine political parties awarded MVR 11.77 million

Elections Commission (EC) has awarded MVR 11.77 million to nine different political parties from the state budget.

Secretary General of EC Asim Abdul Sattar told Sun today that out of the 16 political parties registered at the commission, the parties that were awarded money include; Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Adhaalath Party (AP), Maldives National Congress (MNC), Jumhoory Party (JP), Dhivehi Gaumee Party (DGP), Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Maldives Development Association (MDA).

The political party that was awarded the most money this year is MDP, a total of MVR 3.6 million.

Second most amount of money was awarded to PPM, a total of MVR 1.98, next being DRP with an amount of MVR 1.9 million. JP was awarded MVR 1.2 million and AP was awarded a sum of MVR 794,000.

President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik’s party Gaumee Ithihaadh Party received MVR 608,000 while MDA received MVR 624,000, Gaumee Party a sum of MVR 529,000 and MNC a total of MVR 478,000.

The parties that did not receive money from the EC this year include; Islamic Democratic Party, Maldives Social Democratic Party, Social Liberal Party, People’s Party, People’s Alliance, Maldivian Labour Party and Maldives Reform Movement.

President of the Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeq said some of the parties that were not awarded money this year were those which the commission was not aware of the location of their offices, and also because they could not be contact through the details given to the commission. He also said that the parties were not awarded money because the parties do not have the minimum number of members required by the political parties regulation. He said that some of the parties have not submitted annual reports to the commission.

Fuad said that the commission will disburse the money to these political parties only if the courts issues such an order.