Five Maldivian Political Parties Eligible for 2025 State Funding, Says ECM

The Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) has announced that five political parties will qualify for state funding under the 2025 state budget.

This decision is based on the criteria outlined in the Political Parties Act, which mandates:

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• Parties with a membership of 10,000 or more are eligible for state funding.
• A total of 0.1% of the state budget is allocated for this purpose.

At a meeting yesterday, the ECM determined the qualifying parties based on membership figures at the time of the parliamentary budget’s approval.

ECM member and spokesperson Hassan Zakariyya confirmed that five parties met the threshold this year. These are:

• Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)
• Progressive National Congress (PNC)
• Adhaalath Party
• Jumhooree Party (JP)
• Maldives Development Alliance (MDA)

He stated that funds would be distributed proportionally according to each party’s recorded membership as of 31 December.

He also clarified that while the dissolved Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) had met the 10,000-member requirement, it is no longer eligible for funding due to its dissolution. Administrative procedures for the party’s closure are currently underway.