Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has revealed the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) had registered the most members unlawfully.
Statistics from ECM in the past five years show that the electoral body received complaints that 11 political parties registered 1,208 members without their knowledge and that PPM was the biggest offender with 391 unlawful registrations. The main opposition party registered the highest number of members unlawfully in 2019 with 166 individuals being registered without their knowledge that year.
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) registered the second-highest number of members without their knowledge with 213 unlawful memberships in the past five years. Maldives Labour and Social Democratic Party (MLSDP) registered the third-highest number of members without their knowledge with 145 unlawful memberships, and Jumhooree Party (JP) has the fourth-highest with 144 unlawful memberships.
ECM has been stepping up efforts to reduce invalid and unverifiable party membership applications. As part of these efforts, the electoral body announced that individuals who have been registered at a party without their knowledge can officially submit their complaints to the commission and that each complaint will be reviewed and legal action will be taken if required including fines up to MVR 10,000.
