In a significant move to streamline political party membership, the Election Commission of Maldives (ECM) has announced that members can now withdraw from their political parties with immediate effect, starting January 2026.
The new system, accessible through the ECM’s official online portal, is set to overhaul the previous 14-day processing period, which had been criticised for hindering members' political mobility. According to ECM’s Vice Chairperson Abdul Rahman Solah, the change aims to empower political party members and expedite administrative procedures.
Under the new regulations, a member who submits a withdrawal application via the ECM portal will be removed from their party's register within 14 days until the end of this year. From January onward, however, this withdrawal will take effect immediately upon submission.
"This change is a direct response to complaints that the 14-day deadline was a barrier, preventing members from leaving a party to run for a post in another or to contest an internal election," Solah explained.
The commission has also already reduced the processing time for applications to join a political party to just three days.
While the process is swift for grassroots members, ECM noted that withdrawals for senior party officials, including the chairperson, president, treasurer, and registrar, will require a longer, more detailed procedure.