Application submitted to register party as New Maldives

Mohamed Abdulla of Henveiru Wood Pecker has submitted necessary application along with 52 signatures to the Commissioner of Elections office for registration of political party under the name of New Maldives. This was confirmed to Miadhu last night by Office of the Commissioner.

Providing information to Miadhu, Mohamed Thalaal Assistant Director General at the Commissioner’s Office said as the regulations concerning such registration stipulates that political parties may be registered within 3 days of the application, and as such the registration process was underway. He said that Commissioner would provide a reply to the concerned parties within 3 days. He noted that response is due to given sometime tomorrow.

Application to register a political party under the name New Maldives was submitted last Sunday immediately after Home Ministry allowed registration of a society under the name New Maldives Movement.

Asked if Office of the Commissioner would allow a political party to be registered under New Maldives in view of the fact that former Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, former Justice Minister Mohamed Jameel and former Attorney General Dr. Hassan Saeed are referred to as New Maldives Movement both by government agencies as well as international organizations and also in view of the fact that a civil society was recently registered under New Maldives Movement, Tholal replied that necessary deliberations will take place before giving permit to form a political party under that name. He further it was a decision that would be made by the Commissioner.

Miadhu contacted the founder members of the newly registered New Maldives Movement to find out whether if they were linked to the political party to be registered under New Maldives. The founder members of the New Maldives Movement replied that they were in no way connected to the New Maldives political party to be registered.

Dr. Shaheed has previously said they have no intention of registering the movement operated by them. He said the New Maldives Movement had the support of the people and was linked to their future aspirations. According to an article carried in the center page of daily newspaper Hamaroalhi New Maldives was the brainchild of President Gayoom and that Dr. Shaheed and his allies had stolen it.