Political parties in the Maldives were legalized when the Maldivian parliament voted unanimously for the creation of a multi-party system on 2 June 2005. This came after decades of authoritarian rule. Prior to this ruling, political parties had not been not allowed under the Maldivian legal system.
Current parties
Parliamentary
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! colspan=3|Party
! Leader
! Founded
! Ideology
! MPs
|-
! PNC
| style="background-color: " |
| People's National Congress<br>
| Mohamed Muizzu
| 2019
|
|
|-
! MDP
| style="background-color: " |
| Maldivian Democratic Party<br><br/><small>Dhivehi ra yitungedimokretik paatee</small>
| Abdulla Shahid
| 2005
|
|
|-
! MDA
| style="background-color: " |
| Maldives Development Alliance<br>
| Ahmed Siyam Mohamed
| 2012
|
|
|-
! JP
| style="background-color: #dc143c" |
| Republican Party<br><br/><small>Jumhooree paatee</small>
| Qasim Ibrahim
| 2008
|
|
|-
! MNP
| style="background-color: " |
| Maldives National Party<br>
| Mohamed Nazim
| 2021
|
|
|}
Extra-parliamentary
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! colspan=3|Party
! Leader
! Founded
! Ideology
|-
! AP
| style="background-color: #31c642" |
| Justice Party<br><br/><small>Adhaalath pati</small>
| Sheikh Imran Abdulla
| 2005
|
|-
!PNF
| style="background-color: #9B519E" |
| People's National Front<br>
| Abdulla Yameen
| 2023
|
|-
! DEM
| style="background-color: " |
| The Democrats<br>
| Imthiyaz Fahmy
| 2023
|
|-
!MLSDP
| style="background-color: " |
|Maldives Labour and Social Democratic Party<br>
|Ahmed Shiham
|2019
|Social democracy
|}
Dissolved parties
Political Party Bill
On 12 March 2013, president Mohamed Waheed Hassan ratified a new Political Party Bill replacing the guidelines established in 2005, when the Maldives first became a multi-party system. The bill raised the minimum number of members required to register a political party from 3,000 to 10,000. With the ratification of the bill, all registered political parties with less than 10,000 members were dissolved. The following is a list of parties dissolved under the law:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! colspan=3|Party
! Leader
! Founded
!Dissolved
! Ideology
|-
! PA
| style="background-color: " |
| People's Alliance<br>
| Ahmed Nazim
| 2008
| 2013
|
|-
!DQP
| style="background-color: " |
| Dhivehi Qaumee Party<br>
| Hassan Saeed
| 2009
| 2013
|
|-
!GIP
| style="background-color: " |
| National Unity Party<br><br/><small>Gaumee itthihaad</small>
| Mohamed Waheed Hassan
| 2008
| 2013
|
|-
!IDP
| style="background-color: " |
| Islamic Democratic Party<br>
| Hassan Zareer
| 2005
| 2013
|
|-
!MSDP
| style="background-color: lightblue" |
| Maldives Social Democratic Party<br>
| Reeko Ibrahim Manik
| 2006
| 2013
|
|-
!PP
| style="background-color: " |
| People's Party<br>
| Ahmed Riyaz
| 2007
| 2013
|
|-
!MNC
| style="background-color: " |
| Maldives National Congress<br>
| Ali Amjad (Deputy)
| 2007
| 2013
|
|-
!SLP
| style="background-color: " |
| Social Liberal Party<br>
| Mazlaan Rasheed
| 2007
| 2013
| Social liberalism
|-
!MLP
| style="background-color: " |
| Maldivian Labour Party<br>
| Ahmed Moosa (Deputy)
| 2008
| 2013
| Socialism
|-
!MRM
| style="background-color: lightblue" |
| Maldives Reform Movement<br>
| Mohamed Munnavaru
| 2011
| 2013
|-
!DRP
| style="background-color: " |
| Maldivian People's Party<br><br/><small>Dhivehi rayyithunge paatee</small>
| Abdulla Jabir
| 2005
| 2023
|
|-
!MRM
| style="background-color: " |
|Maldives Reform Movement<br />
|Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
| 2019
| 2025
|Political Islam<br />Nationalism
|-
! MTD
| style="background-color: " |
| Maldives Third Way Democrats<br>
| Ahmed Adeeb
| 2018
| 2025
| Third Way
|-
!PPM
| style="background-color:" |
|Progressive Party of Maldives<br>
|Mohamed Muizzu
| 2011
| 2025
|
|}
First republic
The First Republic of the Maldives had only one party, the Rayyithunge Muthagaddim Party.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! colspan="3" |Party
! Leader
! Founded
!Dissolved
! Ideology
|-
! RMP
| style="background-color: " |
| Rayyithunge Muthagaddim Party<br>
| Mohamed Amin Didi
| 1951
| 1954
|
|}
See also
- Politics of the Maldives
- List of political parties by country