PNC claims 10% of council seats without polling

The ruling Progressive National Congress (PNC) will secure 10 per cent of seats in the upcoming council elections without polling, Parliamentary Majority Leader and Inguraidhoo constituency member Ibrahim Falah said Sunday.

Speaking at a campaign rally, Falah said the Election Commission (EC) has approved the highest number of candidates from the PNC for the April council elections. He said the party has fielded 665 candidates for council seats and 658 candidates for women’s committee seats.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has the next highest number of candidates, with 495 contesting council seats and 417 contesting women’s committee seats, according to EC figures.

The EC has also accepted 401 applications from independent candidates seeking to contest the elections.

Falah said the PNC is contesting more than 1,000 candidates across councils, including in Addu. He said that if these candidates are elected with majorities, the Maldives would see changes in local governance.

“You can see our party has won this election without an election. We have almost already won seven per cent of the seats without polling. We are confident we can reach 10 per cent,” he said.

Criticising the MDP, Falah said candidates contesting on the opposition ticket are not aligned with the party’s direction. He said the MDP’s policies and current practices do not support council-level work, even if candidates are elected.

He added that the MDP is focused on defending its position and lacks a clear plan. Referring to party messaging, he said such actions indicate internal issues.

Falah urged PNC candidates to campaign together and avoid divisions. He called on candidates across the islands to continue their campaigns as a team.