Maldives Reform Movement (MRM), led by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, has been dissolved by the Elections Commission (EC).
The decision to dissolve the MRM was made by the commission after the party failed to meet the minimum requirement of 3,000 members, as stated in the Political Parties Act. Despite being given two prior notices to increase their membership, the MRM was unable to do so, resulting in the decision to dissolve the party.
According to the Political Parties Act, political parties must maintain a membership of at least 3,000 individuals. Failure to meet this requirement leads to the issuance of a notice by the Elections Commission, allowing parties a certain period to increase their membership.
The first notice was issued to the MRM in March 2022. At that time, the party managed to increase its membership and was removed from the list of parties facing dissolution. However, a subsequent notice was issued in February of this year. Following their failure to meet the membership requirement and submit the required documentation to the EC, the decision to dissolve the party was made.
The most recent update of the political party registers on the Election Commission’s website, published on February 21 of this year, indicated that the MRM had 2,981 members at that time, falling just 14 members short of the minimum requirement.
The MRM has claimed that it consistently maintained a membership above 3,000 individuals. The party has expressed concerns regarding the commission’s delays in processing membership forms and the transfer of members to other parties without their knowledge, citing these as the primary reasons for the decline in party membership.
Registered as a political party on November 20, 2019, the MRM was part of the ruling coalition alongside the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Several members of the MRM held senior government positions and Cabinet roles.
