The Election Commission of Maldives (ECM) has initiated the disbursement of state funds to five political parties that have met the legally stipulated membership requirements.
Out of the nine political parties registered with the ECM, the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the Jumhooree Party (JP), Adhaalath Party, and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) are the beneficiaries, having reached the 10,000-member threshold by the date of this year's budget approval.
In accordance with the Political Parties Act, the funds allocated from the state budget for the operation of political parties constitute 0.1 percent of the estimated state revenue for the annual budget.
For this distribution, the qualifying parties will receive around USD 12.5 per member, proportionate to their registered membership as of 31 December 2024, which determined their eligibility for this year's budget allocation.
The ruling PNC received the largest share, totaling USD 863,592.74 while the main opposition MDP, secured the second-highest amount with USD 548,299.64. JP was allocated USD 172,276.26 followed by MDA with USD 114,760.05 and the Adhaalath Party receiving USD 111,121.92.
According to ECM, as of 30 June this year, the PNC boasts the highest membership with 68,665 members, followed by the MDP with 43,765. The JP has 13,456 members. The MDA and AP currently report 9,011 and 8,844 members respectively. While nine political parties are registered with the ECM, the MTD party is notably undergoing dissolution due to insufficient membership.