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Parties and Candidates

Maldives Maldives

PC001

Registration requirements for parties (Chamber 1)
Question:What are the registration requirements for political parties running for national elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s): b. Deposit requirement (specify amount)
f. Other
Comments: The requirement to constitutes political parties is the number of party members, which was in 2015 reduced from 10,000 to 3,000. However in order to receive a state financing, parties have to have 10,000 membership. In order to run for elections, all candidates, both independent and those nominated by registered political parties, must pay a deposit of 5,000 MVR (230 EUR). The deposit is refunded to candidates who win more than 10 per cent of votes. Independent candidates were also required to submit a statement of support signed by at least 50 eligible voters from the constituency in which the candidate intended to stand. A candidate could contest elections only in one constituency.
Source: Report of the Commonwealth Expert Team on the Maldives 2009 Parliamentary Elections: http://www.thecommonwealth.org/files/210207/FileName/CommonwealthSecretariatMaldivesPeople%27sMajlis%28Parliamentary%29ElectionsReportoftheCommonwealthExpertTeam-9May2009.pdf(2013) European Union ElectoralFollow-up Mission(EU EFM)to the Republic of Maldives, Follo-Up Mission Report (March 2018): https://cdn2-eeas.fpfis.tech.ec.europa.eu/cdn/farfuture/lExHWGaFTKi4cwW_xK79_yEnIS-k1Jy7wxu_Ukx34fQ/mtime:1524735704/sites/eeas/files/final_mal_2017_eu_efm_report_final_formatted-new.pdf
Verified: 2019/02/15
(Found a mistake? Please let us know.)
PC003

Registration requirements for candidates (Chamber 1)
Question:What are the legal qualifications to become a candidate at legislative elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s): a. Age
b. Citizenship
j. Other
Comments: 8. (a) A person contesting in a Parliamentary election shall be so qualified if s/he: (1) is a citizen of the Maldives; (2) is not a citizen of another country; (3) is a Muslim and a follower of a Sunni school of Islam; (4) has attained the age of 18 (eighteen) years; and (5) is of sound mind. (b) A person who has acquired Maldivian citizenship is qualified to contest in the Parliamentary elections 5 (five) years after the acquisition of his citizenship, and is domiciled in the Maldives. (c) A person shall be disqualified from contesting in the Parliamentary elections if s/he: (1) has a decreed debt which is not being paid as provided in the judgment; (2) has been convicted of a criminal offence and is serving a sentence of more than 12 (twelve) months; (3) has been convicted of a criminal offence and has served a sentence of more than 12 (twelve) months, and a period of 3 (three) years have not elapsed since his release or pardon for the offence for which he was sentenced; and (4) is a member of the Judiciary.
Source: Parliamentary Elections Act 2009, art. 8: https://www.elections.gov.mv/en/core/downloads/Parliamentary%20Elections%20Act%202009.pdf
Verified: 2019/02/15
(Found a mistake? Please let us know.)
PC008

Independent candidates
Question:Can independent candidates compete in presidential or legislative elections?
Answer(s): e. In both presidential and legislative elections
Comments: Parliamentary Election Act (2009) 10.(c) Independent candidates in a Parliamentary election who are not standing on behalf of a political party shall (...) submit a statement signed by at least 50 (fifty) adults aged 18 and above from the electoral constituency that the person is applying to contest in, showing their support for that person.(...) Presidential Election Act (2008) 9.(c) Persons standing for presidential elections other than as nominees of a political party should(...) submit a statement signed by at least 1500 (one thousand five hundred) adults over 18 years of age, showing support for the person standing for elections(...).
Source: Parliamentary Elections Act (2009) art. 10: https://www.elections.gov.mv/en/core/downloads/Parliamentary%20Elections%20Act%202009.pdf Presidential Election Act (2008) art.9: https://www.elections.gov.mv/en/core/downloads/Presidential%20Elections%20Act%20final(28th%20sep%202008).pdf
Verified: 2019/02/13
(Found a mistake? Please let us know.)
PC012

Public funding of parties
Question:Do political parties receive direct/indirect public funding?
Answer(s): b. Direct
Comments: As for the government subsidy, a total of 0.1 to 0.2 percent of the state budget for each year should be allocated to political parties.
Source: Political Parties Act (2015/24) art 8, 34, 35 (a) Aminath Sweiza Naeem (2016) 'FUNDING OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTION CAMPAIGNS IN THE MALDIVES': https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1970739/WP42_Naeem.pdf, p.4
Verified: 2019/02/15
(Found a mistake? Please let us know.)
PC015


Question:What is the basis of the public funding?
Answer(s): e. Other
Comments: As for the government subsidy, a total of 0.1 to 0.2 percent of the state budget for each year should be allocated to political parties. The Commission is mandated to distribute this amount among all the political parties registered with a membership of 10,000 ormore only at the time of distribution,and the amount has to be distributed pro rata according to the size of membership of the parties. The Commission should also consider before the distribution of the subsidy whether the parties have submitted both the annual report and the audit report, where the reports should clearly indicate that the parties have worked to achieve its objectives.15Apart from these limitations on the subsidy, there is no legal limitation approved for financing by political parties.
Source: Political Parties Act (2015/24) art 8, 34, 35 (a) Aminath Sweiza Naeem (2016) 'FUNDING OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTION CAMPAIGNS IN THE MALDIVES': https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1970739/WP42_Naeem.pdf, p.4
Verified: 2019/02/15
(Found a mistake? Please let us know.)
PC017


Question:Are political parties entitled to private funding?
Answer: a. Yes
Comments: Parties are permitted to procure finance through members, monies and assets from donations, government subsidies, commercialisation of party assets, money received from fund raising activities and by loan financing.
Source: Political Parties Act (2015/24) art 33(a) Aminath Sweiza Naeem (2016) 'FUNDING OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTION CAMPAIGNS IN THE MALDIVES': https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1970739/WP42_Naeem.pdf, p.3
Verified: 2019/02/15
(Found a mistake? Please let us know.)
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