The Election Commission of Maldives (ECM) announced that only four of the Maldives’ registered political entities are eligible to receive state funding from next year’s budget, having met the legally mandated minimum membership threshold of 10,000 members.
This marks a shift from the previous budgetary cycle, which included five parties.
The four parties confirmed by the ECM to have exceeded the 10,000-member limit as of 25 November—the date of budget approval—are the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the Jumhoory Party (JP), and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA).
Crucially, Adhaalath Party (AP), which had received funding in the current year, is set to be removed from the list of recipients. ECM data from June showed the AP falling short of the required threshold, registering 8,844 members at the time.
According to the Political Parties Act, 0.01 percent of the state budget is allocated annually to political parties that maintain a minimum of 10,000 registered members. While nine parties are currently registered, most fail to meet this high standard.
The confirmed eligibility of four parties represents a slight increase from the previous count in June, when only three parties had officially secured 10,000 members.
The latest allocation details highlight the considerable gap between the largest and smallest beneficiaries. The ruling party, the PNC, which boasts the highest membership (68,665 members as of June), received the largest portion of the current year’s budget, followed by the MDP (43,765 members).