Maumoon's MRM to be dissolved again

Elections Commission of Maldives has decided to dissolve Maldives Reform Movement (MRM), founded by former President Maumoon Abdul Qayyoom, again.

The Commission said that the party failed to retain a minimum of 3,000 members which is required to maintain its status as a registered political party, marking the second time the commission made this decision against MRM.

Elections Commission first decided to dissolve MRM in May last year after the minimum membership count was not met despite the legally mandated duration provided to reach 3,000 members.

Due to this decision, MRM's president and Maumoon's son Faris Maumoon contested in the Presidential Election as an independent candidate that year. Following his loss in that election, he also contested as an independent candidate in the following Parliamentary Election.

MRM also contested the commission's decision at the Civil Court, walking out with a ruling that determined Elections Commission's notice period allocated for MRM to increase its membership to reach the minimum threshold was insufficient.

"MRM is not legally responsible for any failure on the part of the Election's Commission in the past to comply with the responsibility of issuing notices to confirm the number of members once every six months," the judgement read.

In the notice sent in February notifying MRM to maintain 3,000 members, the commission said that the party's membership stood at 2981 at the time, the judgement highlighted. It also pointed out that the notice did not clarify whether there were unprocessed forms or if the membership count was amended in anyway.

According to the verdict, there would also be reasonable delays in the processing of some forms. Taking all this into consideration, the court ruled that the Elections Commission's decision was in violation of Article 43 of the constitution, quashing all further decision's by the commission in relation to the matter.