The People’s National Congress (PNC) has announced that voting in its primaries for the upcoming local council and women’s development committee elections will take place on 27 December.

The announcement was made during a press conference held today at the party’s headquarters, attended by PNC Campaign Manager and Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim Falah.

Falah stated that interested candidates may submit their applications via the PNC website, with the submission window open from 1 to 15 December. He added that the party has opened the opportunity for new members to contest in the primary, provided they complete all membership formalities through the Elections Commission.

Highlighting the scale of the process, Falah said the PNC primary would be the largest ever conducted in the Maldives. He attributed the growing interest to the increasing acceptance of the party’s ideology across the islands, alongside the policies of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. He also noted that a strong performance in the local council elections would reinforce the President’s ongoing development efforts.

Speaking at the same briefing, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen revealed that more than 1,400 candidates are expected to participate in the primary. He explained that all application processing will be conducted through the party’s portal to streamline administrative procedures.

The Elections Commission has scheduled the national local council elections for 28 March 2026. Candidates intending to contest in the elections will be eligible to submit their official applications from 17 January.