Only four of nine registered parties eligible for state funding in 2026 budget

The Elections Commission of Maldives has announced that only four political parties meet the eligibility criteria to receive state funding from the 2026 national budget, highlighting the narrow scope of parties that qualify under current membership requirements.

According to information released by the Commission, as of 25 November 2025, the date the 2026 national budget was approved by the People’s Majlis, only four parties had met the legal threshold of having 10,000 registered members.

These parties are the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Jumhooree Party (JP), Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), and the People’s National Congress (PNC).

Under the Political Parties Act, state funding allocated from the national budget is distributed among political parties in proportion to the number of members listed in each party’s official registry.

The act also specifies that only parties registered with the commission that have a minimum of 10,000 members are eligible for this funding.

In addition to this, the law states that any party reaching the 10,000-member requirement after the national budget has been approved will not be eligible for funding for that budget year once it begins.

Membership figures published on the EC’s website show that as of 30 June 2025, MDP had 43,765 members, JP had 13,456 members, MDA had 9,011 members, and PNC had 68,665 members. Although the commission’s website listed MDA below the 10,000-member threshold in June, the commission has confirmed that the party had reached the required number by the time the 2026 budget was approved.

A total of nine political parties are currently registered in the Maldives.