16,000 members reached; 40,000 by year end: PNC
The PNC, which is in a coalition with the PPM, is the second largest political party in the Maldives.
By
Fathmath Ahmed Shareef
The ruling People's National Congress (PNC) has signed up nearly 16,000 members so far and will reach 40,000 by the end of this year, the party said Sunday.
With the victory of President Mohamed Muizzu in the presidential election on the PNC ticket last September, the work of expanding the PNC has begun. Under the guidance of Muizzu, who is also the PNC President, the party is working to increase its members. According to the party's X account, more than 2,000 members have joined the party on Saturday and Sunday alone.
The party's registrar, Mohammed Afu Hamid, who is in charge of maintaining the registry of new members of the PNC, told Atoll Times that the party will have about 40,000 members by the end of next month.
According to him:
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Another 10,000 forms have been submitted to the EC this month alone
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There are up to 6,000 more forms in processing that have not been sent to the EC
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There are a number of other but collected forms that are not handed over to the party; The forms will also be handed over to the party on different days in the coming days
According to the Election Commission, the PNC had 3,159 members as of February 21 this year. In addition, the party will have a total of 19,000 members on its register
“Based on the membership forms we have and the forms available, it is estimated that by the end of December this year, the party will hopefully have about 40,000 members,” party registrar Afu said.
He said the PNC would reach about 40,000 members by the end of this year, while the 12-year-old PPM, one of the largest parties in Maldives, has 38,704 members.
The PPM was formed on 27 October 2011. The PNC was formed on 31 January 2019. If the PNC can increase its membership to that level, it will soon become the second largest party with a record number of members.
The MDP is currently the largest party in Maldives. The PNC, which is in a coalition with the PPM, has the second largest number of members.
Former PPM president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom had earlier said that the party members should not have to switch over to PNC during the drive to add members to the PNC. After the change of power, differences between the two parties escalated, with former party president Yameen quitting the party on Thursday to form a new party called the People's National Front (PNF).
