The Elections Commission (EC) has decided to dissolve former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom's Maldives Reform Movement (MRM).
The decision to dissolve the MRM was made by the commission due to its failure to meet the minimum requirement of 3,000 members as stipulated by the Political Parties Act. The party had been given two prior notices to increase its membership, but it failed to do so, leading to the decision to dissolve the party.
The Political Parties Act states that a political party must maintain a membership of at least 3,000 members. Parties that do not meet the requirement will be issued a notice by the Elections Commission to increase their membership within a certain period.
EC issued its first notice to the party on March 2022. At that time, the party increased its membership and was taken off the list of parties to be dissolved. The most recent notice was issued in February this year. The decision to dissolve the party came after MRM failed to meet the 3000-member requirement and submit the necessary documentation to the EC as per the notice.
The most recent update of political party registers on the Election Commission's website, published on February 21 this year, shows that MRM had 2,981 members at that time, just 14 members short of the minimum membership requirement.
The MRM says it has consistently maintained its membership above 3,000 members. The MRM has always expressed concern that the commission's delay in processing membership forms and the transfer of members to other parties without their knowledge are the main reasons for the decline in the number of party members.
Registered as a political party on November 20, 2019, MRM is part of the ruling coalition with MDP. Several MRM members are in senior government posts and the Cabinet, including Higher Education Minister Dr. Ibrahim Hassan, and Heritage Minister Yumna Maumoon.
Former Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom
