The People’s National Congress (PNC) primary is expected to see the highest turnout ever recorded in an internal party election in the Maldives, according to PNC Local Council Election Campaign Manager and Inguraidhoo MP, Ibrahim Falah.

He made the remarks while speaking to State media regarding the voting process to select candidates for the upcoming Local Council and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections.

Polling for the primary is being conducted across 44 stations nationwide, with 21,000 registered voters eligible to take part. As of 2 p.m. today, over 8,000 members had already cast their ballots, exceeding the party’s initial turnout estimates. MP Falah stated that preparations for the vote were carried out with the same procedural standards as a national election, and that the process has been running safely and smoothly throughout the day.

A total of 298 candidates are contesting for 84 seats across 42 constituencies, while several other candidates secured their tickets uncontested. Those confirmed without a primary will receive their candidate documentation through the party’s online portal, according to PNC officials. The party opened applications for the primary on the 1st of December.

MP Falah said the high level of participation reflects growing engagement within the party’s membership base and predicted that, by the end of the day, the turnout would qualify the cycle as the most participated internal primary in Maldivian party politics. He added that the party will continue to monitor voting and coordinate with officials in all atolls to ensure a transparent and orderly process.