Elections Commission Officially Dissolves PPM

The Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) on Thursday officially dissolved Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and removed it from the political party registry.

Founded by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, the party was officially registered on 27 October 2011. Over the years, the party’s ownership and leadership have undergone significant changes. Most recently, the party functioned as part of a coalition with the ruling Peoples’ National Congress (PNC).

In an extraordinary Senate session held on 2 December, PPM reached the decision to dissolve itself. PPM had explained its reason for seeking dissolution as finding it unreasonable for the party to be managed under a separate leadership while PNC functions under similar ideologies and policies.

ECM said the PPM senate had completed the required process to pave the party’s dissolution. ECM officially announced PPM’s dissolution adding that it has now been removed from the country’s political party registry.

PPM had a little over 12,000 members as of last year, most of whom have now switched to PNC.

PPM becomes the second party in as many days to be dissolved by the ECM. Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) led by Gayoom was dissolved on Wednesday after the party failed to meet the minimum membership requirement under the Political Parties Act.