MDP Urges ECM to Verify PNC Membership Forms Amid Allegations

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called on the Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) to review the authenticity of membership forms submitted by the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC).

The request comes in the wake of allegations that the PNC has been enrolling members from other political parties without their consent, purportedly to inflate its membership numbers.

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In November last year, the PNC announced it had received 97,000 membership forms and expressed its aim to become the first political party in the Maldives with 100,000 members. The MDP, however, has raised doubts about the credibility of these claims, accusing the PNC of removing MDP members, including senior officials and congress members, from its registry and adding their names to the ruling party’s list.

The MDP also alleges that the PNC has engaged in signature forgery and is using its influence over state authorities to suppress evidence of misconduct.

Anas Abdul Sattar, the MDP’s spokesperson, told local media that the party has formally submitted its concerns to the ECM and urged the commission to investigate the authenticity of PNC’s membership forms. He criticised the ruling party for allegedly abusing state resources to manipulate membership records and inflate its numbers.

Anas cited the case of former State Minister of Heritage, Mohamed Thoriq, who was reportedly enrolled in the PNC without his knowledge. Thoriq has since filed a case with the Maldives Police Service to investigate the matter.

In response to the allegations, Vilimale’ MP and deputy leader of the PNC’s parliamentary group denied any wrongdoing, stating that membership-related processes are managed directly under his supervision. The MP asserted that the party ensures direct communication with prospective members during the registration process.

As per the Elections Commission’s official registry, the MDP remains the largest political party in the Maldives. As of 19 September, the MDP had 50,851 registered members, while the PNC’s membership stood at 28,983.