The longstanding issue of individuals being registered to political parties without their knowledge has now received a permanent resolution through the integration into the official national digital identity platform, the eFaas system, according to Hassan Zakariyya, a member of the Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM).
This significant development was announced during an appearance on PSM News' 'Raajje Miadhu' programme. Among ongoing deliberations with political organisations, the most substantial systemic change has been directed toward the maintenance of party registries, Hassan observed. To facilitate this institutional transition, the commission initially introduced the "Simedha Online" portal, which was designed to streamline the management of party enrolments.
Despite the portal's initial deployment, the commission continued to receive formal complaints regarding involuntary party enrolments, prompting the migration of all joining and withdrawing processes entirely into the eFaas digital ecosystem to achieve a comprehensive resolution, Hassan explained. Historically, the authenticity of membership forms could not be reliably verified because political activities occurred nationwide without adequate administrative frameworks in place to properly monitor them, he added.
"Since amending the regulations governing political parties and transitioning the registry system into eFaas, we have not received a single complaint regarding involuntary registration," Hassan remarked. He firmly maintained that "no Maldivian citizen can ever be registered to a political party without their explicit knowledge."