The Elections Commission of the Maldives (EC) has dissolved former President Maumoon Abdulla Gayyoom's Maldives Reform Movement (MRM).

As per the elections commission website, the total number of members in MRM by February was 2,981. As per the regulations, they were short of 19 forms to reach the 3,000 mark.

The EC had sent notice to MRM on two occasions for not meeting the required number of members. The last notice was given in February, the three-month deadline of which was up by last Wednesday.

As per the regulations, if a party fails to meet the required number of members, the party could be resolved by the commission.

During a meeting that was held on Wednesday at the EC, the Vice President of the commission Ismail Habeeb highlighted that a party is being dissolved for not reaching 3,000 members. Even though a party was not specified, One Online has learned that it is MRM.

Habeeb noted that even though they had submitted 140 forms, only 66 forms were validated during the first checking itself.

MRM is the third party formed by President Maumoon. He first formed Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) in 2005, however following disagreements with party leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali he left and formed Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). However, he was met with a similar situation again where he left the party over disagreements with Abdulla Yameen, after which he formed MRM.