New regulations to strengthen financial management of political parties currently in gazetting stage: EC
27 ޖުލައި 2026 | ހޯމަ 10:24The Elections Commission, in collaboration with the Auditor General’s Office, has formulated a new regulation to enhance transparency in how political parties utilize state funds. Currently awaiting gazetting, this framework aims to address existing challenges in managing party finances and ensure greater accountability regarding the expenditure of public tax money.
Elections Commission member Hassan Zakariyya. | Social Media
The Elections Commission has announced that it has commenced work on drafting and gazetting a specialized regulation aimed at strengthening the financial management of political parties receiving state funding and ensuring their operations are conducted within a more transparent framework.
Speaking on state media, Elections Commission member Hassan Zakariyya stated that since political parties are funded by public tax money, the manner in which those funds are utilized must be transparent to the citizens. He further noted that the Commission will pay special attention to the financial affairs of parties that receive funding from the state budget.
Hassan Zakariyya noted that while political parties adhere to international auditing standards when preparing their financial reports, several inconsistencies with the Maldives' public finance regulations have been identified. He stated that the primary reason for this is the lack of a standardized framework for all political parties to follow.
Discussions to resolve these issues began approximately two years ago, leading to the drafting of a specialized regulation for managing the financial affairs of political parties. The Elections Commission (EC) noted that this initiative was carried out in collaboration with the Auditor General’s Office.
Hassan Zakariyya stated that the draft has now been forwarded for publication in the Government Gazette.
We have drafted a special regulation for managing the financial affairs of political parties. Following the completion of the consultation process, where feedback was sought from all political parties, the draft has now been forwarded for publication in the Government Gazette.Hassan Zakariyya
The Elections Commission anticipates that these new regulations will resolve existing challenges in managing the financial records of political parties. Furthermore, the Commission expects the move to enhance transparency, providing the public with a clearer understanding of how state-allocated funds are being utilized.
