The People’s National Congress (PNC) has become the largest political party in the Maldives, with nearly 69,000 members. This marks a significant jump from the 28,000 members the party had in September 2024. According to the latest figures released by the Elections Commission (EC), the PNC added around 40,000 new members in just three months, bringing its total to 68,968 members as of December 31, 2024.
Meanwhile, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which was previously the largest political party with over 50,000 members, has seen its membership drop to 43,755.
Political Party Membership at the End of 2024:
- People’s National Congress (PNC): 68,968 members
- Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP): 43,755 members
- Jumhoory Party (JP): 13,826 members
- Maldives Development Alliance (MDA): 9,210 members
- Maldives National Party (MNP): 6,050 members
- The Democrats: 3,667 members
- Maldives Third-way Democrats (MTD): 2,359 members
- People’s National Front (PNF): 2,822 members
The EC’s report also noted that all other political parties, except the PNC, experienced a decline in membership. The Maldives Reform Movement (MRM), which is in the process of dissolution, currently has 1,826 members.
Allegations of Fake Membership Forms
The surge in PNC membership has raised allegations that the party submitted fake forms to boost its numbers. The MDP claims it has received over 3,000 complaints from individuals alleging that they were added to the PNC without their consent. According to the MDP, old national ID card photos and forged signatures were used to submit these forms.
The MDP has filed a case with the police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) after photos surfaced showing senior government officials filling PNC membership forms in a meeting room at the Department of National Registration (DNR).
The PNC has admitted to submitting unverified forms but denied deliberate wrongdoing, citing a lack of capacity to properly verify submissions. The Elections Commission has since suspended the party membership process and announced plans to digitalize the system. The new system will allow individuals to apply for party membership only through the government’s eFaas platform.
Funding Concerns
Under Maldivian law, political parties with over 10,000 members are eligible for state funding, which is distributed based on the number of registered members. Critics allege that the PNC’s efforts to inflate its membership numbers were aimed at securing more state funds.
The EC’s investigation into the fake forms is ongoing, and further updates are expected as the digitalization of the membership process is implemented.
