The Elections Commission (EC) has once again decided to dissolve the Maldives Reform Movement (MRM), the political party founded by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom after his split from the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
EC member Hassan Zakariyya confirmed to Dhiyares that the commission reviews political party membership twice a year, and in mid-2023, it was found that MRM had fallen below the required 3,000-member threshold.
As a result, the EC initiated the dissolution process in August 2023 and notified the party, but received no response to its notices. The official decision to dissolve MRM was made today, and the party will cease to exist once the announcement is gazetted later today.
This is the second time the EC has attempted to dissolve MRM. In 2023, the Civil Court overturned the commission’s decision, ruling it unlawful after MRM challenged the dissolution in court. However, with membership still below the required limit, the EC has now proceeded with the dissolution again.
MRM was registered on November 20, 2019, and at the time of dissolution, it had 1,867 members. The party was founded by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom after political disagreements with former President Abdulla Yameen.