Elections Commission dissolves MRM, Gayoom rejects decision

Elections Commission has dissolved Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) and removed it from the political party registry.

MRM founder former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, however, stated that he does not accept the decision.

Elections Commission stated that they have dissolved MRM as it does not have the minimum required membership numbers of 3000.

The Commission recently reviewed whether MRM held any debts.

In an announcement released yesterday, Elections Commission said that MRM had not registered the required minimum of 3000 members within the period granted, and hence was being removed from the register of political parties.

Once their decision was published in the gazette, Gayoom responded via his social media X account, stating he will not accept any actions committed against laws and regulations by any entity.

The Elections Commission initially decided to dissolve MRM for the same reasons in May last year. Due to this, MRM President and Gayoom's son Ahmed Faris Maumoon contested in the presidential elections as an independent candidate. Having lost in this election, he later contested in the parliamentary elections as well as an independent.

Elections Commission's decision to dissolve the party last year was contested at the Civil Court. In the case, Civil Court ruled that the commission's notice contravenes the Political Parties Act.

"Loss caused due to Elections Commission's previous failure to responsibly act according to the article stipulating providing notice every six months reviewing membership numbers is not a legal responsibility that has to be borne by MRM," the Court's ruling at the time said.

In the initial notice sent in February last year instructing MRM to register 3000 members, the Elections Commission quoted the party's membership as being at 2981. The party started a membership drive based on this number. The Civil Court ruling noted that while the notice did not specify whether there were unprocessed forms, during the notice period, party members had been added and removed.

It was further said that there would be appropriate delays in processing some of the membership forms.

The Civil Court ruled then that the Elections Commission's decision to dissolve the party while these factors remain is against Article 43 of the Constitution. They voided the letter sent to dissolve the party and other related decisions of the commission.