MVR 43.3 Million Allocated to Five Political Parties Based on Membership Count
2 September 2025 - 09:37
The Elections Commission (EC) has begun disbursing MVR 43.3 million in state funds to five political parties that met the legal membership threshold, in accordance with Article 35 of the Political Parties Act.
The funds are allocated from 0.1% of the estimated annual state revenue as stated in the 2025 budget, passed by the People’s Majlis. Parties that had a minimum of 10,000 registered members by December 31, 2024, qualified for the funding. Disbursements are calculated at a rate of MVR 193.23 per registered member, and the EC confirmed that instructions have been sent to the respective banks for the deposits.
Distribution of Funds
- People’s National Congress (PNC)
- Members: 68,665
- Amount: MVR 13,316,689.57
- Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)
- Members: 43,765
- Amount: MVR 8,454,780.51
- Jumhooree Party (JP)
- Members: 13,456
- Amount: MVR 2,656,598.57
- Maldives Development Alliance (MDA)
- Members: 9,011
- Amount: MVR 1,769,648.69
- Adhaalath Party (AP)
- Members: 8,844
- Amount: MVR 1,713,338.65
Among these, the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) receives the highest allocation, while the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is the second-largest recipient.
Nine Registered, Five Eligible
While nine political parties are currently registered in the Maldives, only five met the membership requirement of 10,000 members to qualify for state funding. The Maldives Third-Way Democrats (MTD) is in the process of being dissolved by the EC for failing to maintain the required number of members.
Legal Framework
Under Article 35 of the Political Parties Act, the government must allocate 0.1% of the projected annual revenue to support the functioning of political parties. Funds are distributed proportionally based on the verified number of members in each eligible party as of the cut-off date.
The move is part of an effort to promote transparency and accountability in political financing, though the use and impact of public funds on party operations continues to be a topic of public and political debate.
