MRM calls on creditors to come forward ahead of party liquidation

Elections Commission today called on creditors of Maldives Reform Movement (MRM), a political party formed under the leadership of former President Maumoon Abdul Qayyoom, to come forward and settle any debts before the party gets liquidated.

The decision to void the party was made last August after it failed to maintain the minimum membership count of 3,000 as required by the law.

According to the Elections Commission's announcement creditors are required to submit their documentation to the party's office before 10th November.

As the liquidation process continues, this is not the first time MRM was under threat of being nullified. In May last year, the party failed to secure 3,000 membership signatures within the period granted by the law, and was nearly liquidated.

Due to this, Maumoon's son Ahmed Faris Maumoon, who is also the president of the party, had to contest in last year's presidential election as an independent candidate, and later on in the parliamentary elections as well.

However, MRM, which is chaired by Maumoon, appealed the Commission's decision at the Civil Court, with the court ruling in the party's favour, declaring the notice issued by the Elections Commissions was unlawful.

"As per that article, Elections Commission not having fulfilled its responsibilities in the past by issuing notices once every six months to confirm number of members, any loss faced through that is not something that MRM is legally bound to carry," the ruling said.

In the notice sent to MRM by EC in February asking them to raise membership to 3000, the commission quoted their membership at the time as being at 2981. The party conducted efforts to raise membership based on this number.

While the notice did not mention the existence of some forms that had not been processed yet at the time, the ruling further noted that the list of members had been altered during the notice period.

The MRM is the third political party founded by Maumoon. The first party he formed was the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) but he let the party go following a disagreement within the leadership and went on to create the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). However, later, due to a disagreement with his younger brother, former President Abdulla Yameen, he let PPM go as well.