ECM Temporarily Halts Political Party Registrations

The Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) has announced the temporary suspension of new member registrations for political parties. 

This decision comes in response to multiple complaints regarding unauthorised party registrations, including cases where individuals were added to party lists without their consent. One notable incident involved Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Vaikaradhoo MP Hussain Ziyad, who was registered with the Progressive National Congress (PNC) without his approval. The ECM subsequently rejected the membership form.

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According to the Commission, its portal for submitting membership forms will stop accepting new registrations from the 30th of this month. This suspension will remain in effect until 15 February, after which the system will resume operations with improved security measures to verify the authenticity of new memberships.

During the suspension, the ECM has confirmed that membership applications can still be submitted through the main portal. However, these forms will undergo additional screening to prevent further irregularities.

The Elections Commission stated that the temporary halt in registrations is a necessary step to establish a more transparent and secure process for political party admissions.