This article provides a list of political parties that were or are currently banned by the countries in which they were or are based. Party bans can be democratic or authoritarian. "Altering the character of the nation" has been referenced as an argument for banning parties. Ethnic party bans are prevalent in parts of Africa. Party bans can contribute to political violence, political repression, or political bias. Restrictive nomination rules can have similar effects to party bans.
Asia Bangladesh Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Awami League Big-tent 2025 Bhutan Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Bhutan People's Party Democratic socialism, Lhotshampa interests 1990 Communist Party of Bhutan (Marxist–Leninist–Maoist) Communism, Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, republicanism 2003 China
Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Zhi Xian Party Chinese New Left, Chongqing model, Maoism 2013 Hong Kong Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Hong Kong National Party Hong Kong independence 2018
Thailand All political parties, except for the Democrat Party, were dissolved following the 2006 coup d'état and their members banned from seeking office for five years. Thai Rak Thai Party members joined the People's Power Party after the TRT was banned and then the Pheu Thai Party after the PPP was banned. Thai Nation Party members joined the Chart Thai Pattana Party after their party was banned.
Legend: TRT lineage FFP lineage Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Communist Party of Thailand Communism Thais Love Thais Party Phak Thai Rak Thai Populism 2007 Pandin Thai 2007 Prachatipatai Kaona Pattana Chart Thai People's Power Party Phak Phalang Prachachon Populism 2008 Thai Nation Party 2008 Neutral Democratic Party Phak Matchima Thippathai Populism 2008 Future Forward Party Phak Anakhot Mai Social democracy 2020 Move Forward Party Phak Kao Klai 2024 Sri Lanka All parties listed below are no longer banned. Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s)Ilankai Tamil Arasu KachchiSri Lankan Tamil nationalism1958Jathika Vimukthi PeramunaSinhalese Buddhist nationalism, far-rightJanatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Marxism–Leninism, Communism1971, 1983Ceylon Communist Party (Moscow Wing), 1983Nava Sama Samaja Party, Communism, Trotskyism Tamil United Liberation Front Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism Nepal King Tribhuvan of Nepal banned the Communist Party of Nepal. The Nepali Congress, under the leadership of BP Koirala, won the 1959 election, but King Mahendra of Nepal dissolved the House of Representatives on 15 December 1960. The Rastriya Panchayat was formed and all political parties were banned.
A referendum was held in 1980 to determine whether to maintain the Panchayat system or institute a multi-party system. The Panchayat system was maintained with 54% of the vote. On 6 April 1990, King Birendra of Nepal ended the ban on political parties in response to the 1990 Nepalese revolution and the 1991 election was the first multi-party election since 1960.
Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Communist Party of Nepal Communism Nepali Congress Social democracy Democratic socialism Japan In occupied Japan ,Douglas MacArthur considered banning the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) on 3 May 1950. (Red Purge) Twenty-four members of the JCP's central committee were removed from office in June and its newspaper, Shimbun Akahata, was banned on June 27.
Philippines Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Year legalize Notes Reference(s) Philippine Communist Party Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas-1930 Communism 1957 1992 Communist Party of the Philippines Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas 1968 1992 (ban reinstated 2020) Duterte Youth Duterte Youth Dutertism 2025 Retrospectively banned from running
Turkey
All political parties were dissolved following the 1980 coup d'état and other parties were banned after of the many coup d'états in the 20th century.
Legend: CHP lineage DP lineage MP lineage MNP lineage HEP tradition Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Progressive Republican Party Terakkiperver Cumhuriyet Fırkası 1925 Ahali Cumhuriyet Fırkası 1931 Çiftçi ve Köylü Partisi 1946 Islamic Protection Party İslam Koruma Partisi Islamism Türkiye Sosyalist Emekçi ve Köylü Partisi Socialism Democratic Workers' Party Demokrat İşçi Partisi 1950 Güden Partisi 1951 İslam Demokrat Partisi Islamism 1952 Türkiye Sosyalist Partisi Socialism Nation Party Millet Partisi Nationalism 1954 Ufak Parti 1957 Democrat Party Demokrat Parti Liberal conservatism 1960 Equality Party Müsavat Partisi 1961 Vatan Partisi Marxism-Leninism 1966 Workers' and Farmers' Party İşçi-Çiftçi Partisi 1968 Workers' Party of Turkey Türkiye İşçi Partisi Socialism 1971 Turkey Progressive Idealist Party Türkiye İleri Ülkü Partisi National Order Party Millî Nizam Partisi Millî Görüş 1971 Great Anatolian Party Büyük Anadolu Partisi 1972 Turkish Labor Party Türkiye Emekçi Partisi 1980 Justice Party Adalet Partisi Liberal conservatism 1981 Democratic Party Demokratik Parti Nation Party Millet Partisi Nationalism 1981 Nationalist Movement Party Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi National Salvation Party Millî Selamet Partisi Millî Görüş 1981 Republican People's Party Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi Kemalism 1981 Republican Reliance Party Cumhuriyetçi Güven Partisi Kemalism 1981 National Women's Party of Turkey Türkiye Ulusal Kadınlar Partisi Feminism Unity Party of Turkey Türkiye Birlik Partisi Alevi interests Socialist Workers' Party of Turkey Türkiye Sosyalist İşçi Partisi Marxism-Leninism (second time) Vatan Partisi Workers' Party of Turkey (second time) Türkiye İşçi Partisi Socialism Socialist Revolution Party Sosyalist Devrim Partisi Democratic socialism Order Party Nizam Partisi Türkiye İşçi Köylü Partisi Socialism Socialist Homeland Party Sosyalist Vatan Partisi Libertarian Nation Party Hürriyetçi Millet Partisi Free Democrats Party Hür Demokratlar Partisi Turkish Peace Party Türkiye Huzur Partisi 1983 Halk Partisi Kemalism 1991 United Communist Party of Turkey Türkiye Birleşik Komünist Partisi Marxism-Leninism 1991 Sosyalist Parti Socialism 1992 People's Labour Party Halkın Emek Partisi Kurdish nationalism 1993 Freedom and Democracy Party Özgürlük ve Demokrasi Partisi Democracy Party Demokrasi Partisi 1994 Welfare Party Refah Partisi Millî Görüş 1998 Demokrasi ve Değişim Partisi Kurdish nationalism 1995 Virtue Party Fazilet Partisi Millî Görüş 2001 People's Democracy Party Halkın Demokrasi Partisi Kurdish nationalism 2003 Democratic Society Party Demokratik Toplum Partisi 2009 Iran
Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Islamic Iran Participation Front 2010 Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Organization
Iraq Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Islamic Dawa Party South Korea Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Unified Progressive Party Korean: 통합진보당 Progressivism 2014
Syria Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the new Syrian caretaker government banned all political parties that were part of the pro-Assad National Progressive Front. Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي Ba'athism 2025 Syrian Social Nationalist Party Arabic: الحزب السوري القومي الاجتماعي Social nationalism 2025 Arab Socialist Movement Arabic: حركة الاشتراكيين العرب Arab socialism 2025 Arab Socialist Union Party of Syria Arabic: حزب الاتحاد الاشتراكي العربي في سورية Arab socialism 2025 Syrian Communist Party (Bakdash) Arabic: الحزب الشيوعي السوري Communism 2025 Syrian Communist Party (Unified) Arabic: الحزب الشيوعي السوري (الموحد) Communism 2025 Social Democratic Unionists Arabic: الوحدويون الديمقراطيون الاجتماعيون Social democracy 2025 Socialist Unionist Party Arabic: حزب الوحدويين الاشتراكيين Arab socialism 2025 Democratic Socialist Unionist Party Arabic: الحزب الوحدوي الاشتراكي الديمقراطي Democratic socialism 2025 Arab Democratic Union Party Arabic: حزب الاتحاد العربي الديمقراطي Arab socialism 2025 National Covenant Party Arabic: حركة العهد الوطني Arab socialism 2025
Vietnam Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Vietnamese Reform Revolutionary Party Việt Tân Reformism 2016
Africa Algeria Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Algerian Communist Party , Communism, Marxism-Leninism 1962 Algerian National Movement , , Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party of Algeria , Neo-Ba'athism, Saddamism Étoile Nord-Africaine (North African Star) 1937 Islamic Salvation Front , Anti-democracy, Islamism, Jihadism, Qutbism 1992 Liberal Social Party 1998 Party of the Socialist Revolution , Socialism Wafaa 2000
Burkina Faso The military government that took over Burkina Faso in September 2022 banned all political parties on 29 January 2026.
Egypt All political parties were banned in 1953, following the 1952 Egyptian revolution, but were allowed to exist in 1976.
Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Anti-Coup Alliance Islamism 2014 Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party - Egypt Region Neo-Ba'athism, Saddamism Democratic Movement for National Liberation Communism, Marxism, revolutionary socialism 1953 Egyptian Communist Organisation Communism Freedom and Justice Party Islamism, mixed economy, social conservatism Independence Party Islamism 2014 Jewish Anti-Zionist League Anti-colonialism, anti-racism, communism, Jewish anti-Zionism Liberal Constitutional Party Constitutionalism, social liberalism 1952 Muslim Brotherhood Mixed economy, social conservatism, Sunni Islamism National Democratic Party Egyptian nationalism, populism 2011 Wafd Party Egyptian nationalism, national liberalism 1953 Watani Party Anglophobia, anti-imperialism, Egyptian nationalism
Eswatini Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Communist Party of Swaziland Communism Convention for Full Democracy in Swaziland Ngwane National Liberatory Congress African socialism Ngwane Socialist Revolutionary Party People's United Democratic Movement Democratic socialism Swaziland National Front Sudan Jaafar Nimeiry overthrew the government in 1969, and banned all political parties. He was overthrown by a coup d'état in 1985, and a new government was formed by Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab. He legalized political parties, but they were banned again after Omar al-Bashir overthrew the government.
Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Sudanese Ba'ath Party Ba'athism Sudanese Communist Party Communism 1989 National Congress Party المؤتمر الوطني Islamism 2019
Americas Argentina In 1943, Pedro Pablo Ramírez banned all political parties after overthrowing the government.
Brazil The Brazilian Communist Party was suppressed during the Vargas Era, but were later able to participate in the 1945 and 1947 elections. However, the party was banned by Eurico Gaspar Dutra in May 1947, and all of its elected officials, barring those elected with support from other parties, were removed from office.
Brazilian Integralist Action was banned after the Integralist Uprising in 1938.
Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) Brazilian Communist Party Communism 1947 Brazilian Integralist Action Brazilian Integralism 1938
Peru Name Native name(s) Ideology Year banned Reference(s) National Alliance of Workers, Farmers, University Students, and Reservists Alianza Nacional de Trabajadores, Agricultores, Universitarios, Reservistas y Obreros Ethnocacerism 2024
United States