Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has requested Ministry of Finance to release the funds allocated for the four political parties eligible to receive state funds under the Political Parties Act.
The Political Parties Act states 0.01% of the state budget should be distributed to registered political parties with 10,000 or more members. As such, ECM has decided to provide state funds to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Jumhooree Party (JP), and Adhaalath Party (AP). MDP will receive USD971,000 while PPM will receive USD609,000, JP will receive USD356,000, and AP will receive USD188,000.
Secretary-General of ECM Hassan Zakariya said the electoral body has requested the Ministry of Finance to release the funds. However, he said ECM has not been informed whether the funds have been disbursed or not.
The Maldives consists of 11 registered political parties, with most being below 10,000 membership.