EC to register Democrats next week

The Democrats –composed of former Maldivian Democratic Party officials who filed for registration of a new party earlier June – has been informed by the Elections Commission they will be issued permit to form the party next week.

EC’s vice chairman Ismail Habeeb told Sun that The Democrats has been informed they will receive their permit on Sunday, the first working day after the Eid holidays.

Habeeb said the EC reached the decision after holding individual discussions with all commissioners.

The Democrats had filed for registration with 3,650 membership forms on June 1, two weeks after a dozen MPs loyal to MDP’s former leader Mohamed Nasheed left the party.

The decision to issue The Democrats permission to hold its inaugural meeting follows criticism from the party’s officials after the EC failed to hold the vote to issue the permit. Three commissioners had boycotted the meeting during which the vote had been set to take place, citing lack of confidence in the commission’s chairman Fuad Thaufeeq.