DRP face demise after failing to get 3,000 members
The party was founded in 2005 under the leadership of then president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
The Elections Commission (EC) has decided to abolish DRP, which is one of the oldest parties in the country.
The decision to dissolve the party was taken after it failed to meet the required 3,000 members.
Since the amount could not be met even within the time given to meet the legal requirement, the EC decided to abolish the DRP. According to the law, a political party has to have 3,000 members. A party can be registered only if it meets the same number of members.
EC President Fuad Thaufeeq told Atoll Times that a three-month notice was given to the DRP on July 25 to meet the 3,000-member requirement. He, however, said the party has not been able to match the number of members.
According to the Elections Commission website, DRP currently has around 2,600 members. The party is currently run by Kaashidhoo MP Abdulla Jabir.
DRP at a glance:
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The party was founded in 2005 under the leadership of then president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
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Maumoon ran for another term in the first multi-party presidential election held in 2008 on a DRP ticket; the party suffered defeat in the second round of the election
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In the parliamentary elections that followed, DRP won several seats
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Two factions emerged in the party which led to a split in the party
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Maumoon's faction quit the party and formed PPM under his leadership
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The faction of Ahmed Tasmeen Ali, who was then the leader of the party, joined MDP after the 2013 elections
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After that, the party was very weak politically; former Nolhivaram MP Mohamed Nasheed later took over as leader
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Jabir became DRP leader in 2019
