The elections commission (EC) on Wednesday removed former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) from the list of political parties.
Adhadhu can confirm that MRM was dissolved because the party was unable to get the signatures of 3000 members as required by law.
The EC was not available for comment.
MRM was first given notice for falling short of the minimum membership required for political parties in June of last year. The party campaigned for support and submitted over 3000 forms in February.
But the latest figures show that there are only 2900 MRM members despite being a partner of the ruling coalition.
Heritage minister Yumna Maumoon. -- Photo: Mohamed Shabin/ Adhadhu
Two MRM members are ministers in the cabinet of president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. They are Gayoom’s daughter, Yumna Maumoon as the heritage minister and Dr. Ibrahim Hassan as the higher education minister.
Solih has invited the party to support his re-election campaign for the September 9 presidential vote, but MRM is yet to respond.
MRM has been in discussions with some opposition parties and there were rumors that Gayoom’s son, Faris Maumoon, who serves as the president of MRM might contest the election.
President of MRM Faris Maumoon. -- Photo: Mirash Nashim/ Adhadhu
Recently, 11 senior members of MRM left the party announcing their support for Solih’s re-election campaign.
Gayoom and his parties
Gayoom, 85, is a former strongman who ruled the country for 30 long years. Following years of instability and pressure, he agreed to bring reforms. He founded the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) when multi-party democracy was introduced into the country.
He was defeated in the country’s first competitive presidential election in 2008. Following that, DRP worked as the opposition party, but soon internal rifts led to the creation of two factions. Gayoom later decided to leave DRP and form a new party.
Gayoom with his half-brother former president Yameen.
His second party, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) was formed ahead of the 2013 presidential election. Gayoom’s half-brother Abdulla Yameen contested in the party’s ticket and was elected the new president.
Yameen was quick to take full control of the party, once again, leading to two factions within the then-ruling party. Gayoom was sidelined and forced to begin a new political movement against his half-brother.
His Maumoon Reform Movement campaigned for Solih in the 2018 presidential election. Following Solih’s election win, the movement was registered as a political party in November 2019.
