MDP Deputy Chairperson Ibrahim Waheed (Iburey) has stated that the names that were removed from the MDP register were invalid ones.
Some members of MDP have been complaining about the removal of a large number of members from the party's register. Iburey, who was in charge of validating the list of MDP members, said 41,189 of the 93,440 members in the MDP Secretariat's register were invalid names that were not there in the Elections Commission's register.
Iburey said that 46 names that were not on MDP's list had been registered as MDP members on the Election Commission's website. And that there were 41,189 members in the register of MDP's website who were registered to other parties or no parties at all on the Elections Commission's website.
As such, Iburey said that there were 1211 registered members of Adhaalath Party, 389 members of DRP, 3788 members of Jumhooree Party and 1761 members of MDA in MDP's register. In addition, 875 MSLDP members, 1029 MRM members, 1048 MTD members, 698 PNC members, 6357 PPM members and 24,033 names not registered under any party were on the 2021 member's list in the MDP Secretariat.
Iburey said that this included one councilor elected from Adhaalath Party, six councilors from JP, one councilor from MSLDP, 54 councilors from PPM, 62 independent councilors, four members elected to WDC from JP, one WDC member from MRM, 41 WDC members from PPM and 55 independently elected WDC members.
While Iburey has shared the details of how a large number of names were removed from the party register, the resolution which was submitted to and passed by the MDP National Council on 29th May 2022 stated, "The 54,599 members of the currently checked register who are in the official MDP register of the Elections Commission are to be considered as the official register of MDP. Three months are to be given to validate the membership of the remaining 39,911 members. Those registered with another party in the Elections Commission are to be expelled from MDP, but if it's a member who holds any position in MDP, the membership is to be be validated within one month."
The issue of the MDP register has come to light after former President Mohamed Nasheed informed the party that he was going to contest the presidential primary and in his letter to the party, said that a lot of members of the party have been expelled and therefore the party register was in disarray. Nasheed said that while it was like this, the primary election would not be fair.
The main party of the current ruling coalition, MDP, has the highest number of members for any political party in the country. Even the super majority in the Parliament belongs to MDP. The party's victory in the last parliamentary elections is unprecedented in Maldives' parliamentary history.
According to the Election Commission website, as of 11th December 2022, MDP has 58,175 members.
Some members of MDP have been complaining about the removal of a large number of members from the party's register. Iburey, who was in charge of validating the list of MDP members, said 41,189 of the 93,440 members in the MDP Secretariat's register were invalid names that were not there in the Elections Commission's register.
Iburey said that 46 names that were not on MDP's list had been registered as MDP members on the Election Commission's website. And that there were 41,189 members in the register of MDP's website who were registered to other parties or no parties at all on the Elections Commission's website.
As such, Iburey said that there were 1211 registered members of Adhaalath Party, 389 members of DRP, 3788 members of Jumhooree Party and 1761 members of MDA in MDP's register. In addition, 875 MSLDP members, 1029 MRM members, 1048 MTD members, 698 PNC members, 6357 PPM members and 24,033 names not registered under any party were on the 2021 member's list in the MDP Secretariat.
Iburey said that this included one councilor elected from Adhaalath Party, six councilors from JP, one councilor from MSLDP, 54 councilors from PPM, 62 independent councilors, four members elected to WDC from JP, one WDC member from MRM, 41 WDC members from PPM and 55 independently elected WDC members.
While Iburey has shared the details of how a large number of names were removed from the party register, the resolution which was submitted to and passed by the MDP National Council on 29th May 2022 stated, "The 54,599 members of the currently checked register who are in the official MDP register of the Elections Commission are to be considered as the official register of MDP. Three months are to be given to validate the membership of the remaining 39,911 members. Those registered with another party in the Elections Commission are to be expelled from MDP, but if it's a member who holds any position in MDP, the membership is to be be validated within one month."
The issue of the MDP register has come to light after former President Mohamed Nasheed informed the party that he was going to contest the presidential primary and in his letter to the party, said that a lot of members of the party have been expelled and therefore the party register was in disarray. Nasheed said that while it was like this, the primary election would not be fair.
The main party of the current ruling coalition, MDP, has the highest number of members for any political party in the country. Even the super majority in the Parliament belongs to MDP. The party's victory in the last parliamentary elections is unprecedented in Maldives' parliamentary history.
According to the Election Commission website, as of 11th December 2022, MDP has 58,175 members.
