The People’s National Congress (PNC) has acknowledged the submission of unverified membership forms to the Election Commission (EC) and pledged full cooperation with the EC and police to address the issue.

According to a statement released by the party, the issue emerged during a nationwide membership drive aimed at expanding its member base. Thousands of forms collected by the party were subsequently submitted to the EC, but some were later identified as unverified.

Complaints regarding these unverified forms have been submitted to both the EC and the police. The PNC confirmed that it has informed both institutions about the situation and assured its ongoing support in their investigations.

The party highlighted in the press release, that the challenge of verifying membership forms is not unique to its operations, citing resource constraints faced by political parties in the Maldives since the inception of a multi-party political system. The PNC noted that this limitation has affected its ability to authenticate forms at an earlier stage in the process, particularly during the final stages of filing nominations.

Despite these challenges, the PNC stated that it has been diligently uploading forms to the EC's portal. However, the inability to fully verify the authenticity of submitted forms has created a vulnerability in ensuring compliance with established procedures.

In response to the situation, the PNC has invited individuals to contact the party directly if they suspect any irregularities regarding their membership registration. The party also reaffirmed its commitment to upholding transparency and protecting the rights of citizens, stressing that its leadership will not condone actions that undermine these principles.