Transparency Maldives has called on the Elections Commission (EC) to investigate and take action against the fraudulent practices in increasing political party memberships.
In a statement, Transparency Maldives expressed concern over the use of fraudulent practices through misuse of personal information and abuse of power and resources in the submission of political party membership forms to the EC.
"The recent events related to illegally accessing public records to obtain personal information, including that of Members of Parliament and ordinary citizens, are deeply concerning. These actions violate the Political Parties Act as well as the fundamental right to privacy and the right to participate in political activities of citizens guaranteed under Articles 24 and 30 of the Constitution," it stated.
Transparency Maldives called on the EC, political parties and the government to implement seven measures.
"Using personal data by accessing national databases, or even private databases, is a clear breach of privacy," the statement read.
The NGO called for an "urgent and independent review" to identify the gaps in the systems and action against "individuals and parties involved in these fraudulent activities."
