ECM Says eFaas Political Party Registers Are Fully Verified
eFaas system ensures accurate political party membership records | Photo: MV+
The Election Commission of Maldives (ECM) has stated that political party registers created since the introduction of the eFaas-based membership system are fully verified, saying the digital verification process has eliminated the possibility of individuals being registered without proper oversight.
Speaking on PSM’s Raajje Miadhu programme last night, ECM Hassan Zakariyya said the introduction of eFaas ensured that party membership registrations could no longer be completed without the knowledge of an EC official.
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He said the commission opened political party registers for public complaints before introducing the eFaas system, allowing it to investigate claims that individuals had been registered without their consent. According to Hassan, the transition to eFaas took place only after the commission had verified the accuracy of the existing registers.
Hassan said the political party registers maintained under the current eFaas system are valid and reliable, adding that the records established since its introduction are fully accurate.
Concerns over fraudulent political party membership forms emerged early last year after allegations that the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) had submitted invalid membership applications. In response to complaints, the EC reopened party registration on 23 January last year, while the opposition filed a case with the police requesting an investigation.
The issue gained further attention in early 2025 after leaked photographs circulated on social media showed political appointees and senior government officials, including Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan, inside a Department of National Registration meeting room after working hours. The images appeared to show officials cropping identification photographs and manually completing PNC membership forms.
The PNC later acknowledged that some invalid membership forms had been submitted to the ECM but said the errors were unintentional and resulted from the lack of a reliable verification system before the introduction of eFaas.
