An amendment is to be proposed to make it mandatory for the party’s primary elections to be held under the Election Commission (EC)’s watch.

At a press conference on Thursday, the commission’s president, Ahmed Shareef, said they have requested the Attorney General’s office to propose an amendment to allow EC to regulate the primary elections.

Shareef said the law will be amended in a way that the commission will be able to regulate or observe the ceremonies, membership, councils, and primaries of political parties

He said EC will not allow parties to do as they wish with no regard to regulations, but that the commission currently lacks a legal mechanism to regulate the parties.

The opposition parties have recently accused EC of trying to obtain their secret information for the benefit of the government. Shareef previously held the position of secretary general at President Yameen’s party, the People’s Alliance (PA).

There are six registered political parties in the Maldives: Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Jumhoree Party (JP), Adhaalath Party (JP), Divehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA).