Maldivian parties seek recognition

COLOMBO, Tuesday (AFP) Several political parties, including the self-exiled main opposition party, have applied for official recognition as the Maldives heads for multi-party democracy, officials said.

Maldives officials said that at least three political groups have come forward since the new multi-party system became operative Sunday following a landmark vote authorizing new parties in the national parliament last week. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has ruled the South Asian country since 1978, said the shift towards the party system was a "great achievement for the reform agenda".

Gayoom, as leader of the new Dhivehi Raiyithunge Party, or Maldivian People's Party, also applied for recognition under the new setup, spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef said. "Political parties are crucial to the effective functioning of a modern democracy and represent an indispensable mechanism for the people to exercise their rights," Gayoom was quoted as saying by Shareef.