EC Reinstates Maldives Labour and Social Democratic Party Following Court Ruling

The Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) has reinstated the Maldives Labour and Social Democratic Party (MLSDP) after the Civil Court ruled that the decision to dissolve the party was unlawful.

The MLSDP was initially dissolved in June 2022 after the ECM found that it had fewer than the 3,000 members required under the Political Parties Act. At the time, the commission said the party’s membership had fallen short of the mandated figure and moved to strike it from the official registry.

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However, the Civil Court later determined that the ECM’s decision was not in accordance with the law. The court found that the commission had issued a three-month notice to the MLSDP stating that it had more than 2,700 members. In response, the party recruited over 300 new members and submitted their forms to the commission, which accepted them as valid.

Despite this, the ECM proceeded with its decision to dissolve the party, citing issues related to member replacements. Last month the court concluded that this action was unlawful and ordered the ECM to restore the MLSDP to its official list of registered political parties.

The ruling did not explicitly state whether the party would continue to operate, but following the judgment, the ECM moved to re-register the MLSDP.

The MLSDP was founded in late 2018, led by prominent lawyer Abdulla Haseen. The party initially met the required membership threshold but later saw its numbers decline. Haseen has since departed from the MLSDP, citing a desire to step away from politics.