President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has ratified the fourth amendment to the Political Parties Act which was passed by the Parliament on 13 November 2024.

The Political Parties Act sets out the rules and regulations for political parties in the Maldives. The amendment provides further clarifications on the provisions governing these parties.

Under the new amendment, if a registered political party is dissolved in accordance with the law, its logo, colours, insignia, and any other distinctive symbols cannot be used by any other political party for a period of five years from the date of dissolution.

The amendment also mandates that budgetary allocations for political parties to be clearly specified in the national budget, disbursed within the same year, and set at a range of 0.1 to 0.2 per cent of the total annual national budget.

The new amendment stipulates that if a political party violates electoral laws, excluding cases involving falsified documents, the party will be fined MVR 100,000. Additionally, individuals responsible for the breach will face fines ranging from MVR 30,000 to MVR 75,000.