Supporters of parliament speaker Mohamed Nasheed on Thursday submitted 3560 membership forms to register The Democrats.
The new party was formed by the 'Fikurrege Dhirun' faction of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) led by Nasheed after he lost the MDP's presidential primary. MPs in the faction resigned to form the new party but Nasheed remains the MDP's president.
The minimum number of members required by law to register a political party is 3000. The party carried out membership drives in Male' and across the country, after the Elections Commission (EC) authorized the formation of The Democrats on May 24.
In the wake of political squabbles within the MDP, MPs and senior officials of Nasheed's faction resigned from the MDP and announced plans to form a new party on May 17. The authorization to form The Democrats was sought under the name of Henveiru Hulhangu MP Hassan Latheef on May 21.
Briefing the media after the submission of the membership forms, Hassan Latheef said efforts to recruit more members will begin after formal registration and estimated that 10,000 members would be reached during the presidential election campaign.
"First [the EC should] give us the permission. After that, we will travel, and God willing, we will launch the presidential election campaign. That would be a campaign where we travel and try to gather support for our party. I believe, God willing, that we will be able to have [10,000 members] during that period," Hassan said.
One of the main complaints made by Nasheed's faction about the MDP presidential primary had been the alleged removal of 39,000 members. At the time, the 'Fikurrege Dhirun' faction claimed that 50,000 would be signed up by July, including the expelled 39,000 members. Referring to the claim, a reporter asked Hassan Latheef whether 3500 people signing in a week was a "justified number".
In response, he said the aim had been 3,500 members and that the party did not conduct a membership drive.
"This is the 3500 who joined to form the party. It was not a membership drive that we carried out. So that's different. These are two completely different things," he said.
The forms submitted to the EC were verified as part of the effort to register the party, he said, noting the verification as a reason for not gathering more membership forms.
In addition to 13 MPs including deputy speaker Eva Abdulla, senior figures who left the ruling party include several senior members. All members of the Kulhudhuffushi council and the presidents of six atoll councils have also joined Nasheed's new party.
Speaking at a press conference on the day that work started on forming the new party, Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb said The Democrats would field a candidate in the upcoming presidential election.
The MDP has become a network of intimidation, corruption and hatred, Ilyas alleged. The decision to form a new party was made after efforts to reform the MDP from within the party failed, he said.
