Transparency Maldives urges probe over forged party forms
PNC has claimed that it does not have the capacity to independently verify the validity of membership forms.
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Transparency Maldives on Monday raised serious concerns over the theft and fraudulent recruitment of individuals into the People's National Congress (PNC), urging for an independent investigation into the matter.
Allegations have surfaced that a large number of people were admitted into the political party through the submission of fraudulent "fake forms" to the Elections Commission (EC) during the recent campaign aimed at increasing party membership to 75,000.
In its statement, Transparency Maldives emphasized the need for urgent action, calling for a full investigation to uncover the extent of the malpractice and ensure accountability.
The organisation’s concerns focus not only on the legitimacy of the forms but also on the possible misuse of personal information belonging to Members of Parliament (MPs) and ordinary citizens.
The statement highlights the growing problem of individuals' personal data being used for political purposes without consent or authorization, pointing out that these practices represent a serious violation of privacy and individual rights.
"An immediate and independent investigation is essential to understand why the system is shaping individuals' personal information for political purposes without any authorization or consent and to take appropriate behavioral and legal action against private individuals, institutions, and parties involved in such practices," stated Transparency Maldives.
The organization also expressed concern over the lack of action taken so far, despite recurring reports of similar incidents involving the violation of privacy and the exploitation of personal data.
In response to these concerns, Transparency Maldives has outlined seven key demands in its statement:
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Independent Investigation: A full, independent, and transparent investigation into the fake forms case, with appropriate action taken against all parties involved.
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Cancellation of Invalid Memberships: Immediate cancellation of any membership forms submitted without the consent of the individuals involved, particularly those linked to the PNC’s recruitment drive.
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Strengthening Party Mechanisms: Political parties must implement stronger internal mechanisms with effective checks and balances to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the recruitment process.
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Enhanced Verification by the EC: The Election Commission should introduce robust verification mechanisms to ensure the authenticity of membership forms submitted by political parties.
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Review and Strengthen Safeguards for Personal Information: A thorough review of current safeguards in central databases containing citizens' personal data should be carried out, with the legal framework strengthened to protect such information from misuse.
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Protection of Privacy Rights: The right to privacy must be guaranteed to protect citizens from unauthorized use of their personal data for political or any other purposes.
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Political Transparency and Accountability: The government, political parties, and the Election Commission must work together to ensure the transparency and integrity of the political process.
The organisation stressed that maintaining public trust in both the government and political parties depends on upholding the right to privacy and ensuring that individuals can make informed decisions without the fear of manipulation or exploitation.
In response to the allegations, the PNC has claimed that it does not have the capacity to independently verify the validity of membership forms. The party has indicated that it is the responsibility of the Elections Commission to carry out such verifications.
The Election Commission, in light of these concerns, has decided to temporarily suspend the acceptance of membership forms until next month.
