The ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) has announced an investigation into allegations of fraudulent membership registration submitted to the Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM).
This announcement follows widespread public outrage over increasing allegations of fraudulent membership registrations. These allegations, primarily circulated on social media, accuse political parties of using forged signatures, altered photographs, and falsified information to inflate their membership numbers.
In a statement, the PNC revealed that it had amassed a significant number of membership forms during its nationwide membership drive and subsequently submitted these forms to the ECM for inclusion in the party’s registry. This membership drive, heralded by the party as the largest event of its kind in the country’s history, was executed with the active participation of party activists, volunteers, and supporters, it said.
The PNC acknowledged that during this process, it identified a limited number of fraudulent membership forms. Additionally, the party noted that the membership registration forms were submitted to the ECM through its online portal.
The PNC further conceded its limited capacity to verify the legitimacy of the information provided in the membership forms, stressing that such verification falls under the purview of the ECM. Since the advent of multi-party democracy in the Maldives, fraudulent membership registration has been a persistent issue affecting all political parties in the country, the party highlighted.
In response to the public outcry, cases have been filed with both the ECM and the Maldives Police Service (MPS). Both the ECM and the MPS have informed the party of their ongoing investigations into the allegations, the party clarified, pledging its full cooperation and support to the authorities throughout their investigative processes.
The party underscored that it is never the intention of its president and leadership to infringe upon citizens' rights, particularly concerning allegations of membership registration fraud. The PNC neither condones nor promotes such actions, it reaffirmed.
The PNC also urged the public to report any information regarding fraudulent membership registrations via email to [email protected]. The party assured that it would take all necessary measures to rectify the situation and provide relief to members of the public affected by the fraudulent registrations.