Ruling Party PNC has announced that it will investigate the matter after acknowledging that unverified forms were submitted as part of a 'Membership Drive' to add new members to the party.

The Election Commission (EC) and the police are also looking into the situation after it was revealed that some of the party's loyalists had been added to the ruling PNC without their knowledge.

In a press release issued today, the PNC stated that the 'Membership Drive' was the largest initiative ever conducted in the Maldives to bring more people into a political party. The party mentioned that it would upload the application forms through its election portal, but did not have the capacity to verify the authenticity of the forms received.

"It has now come to the party's attention that thousands of forms submitted to the Election Commission during the 'Membership Drive', which was open nationwide and attended by party workers and supporters, include some unverified forms," the PNC said.

"The party president and leadership should not rely on unverified forms to add members in a way that undermines the rights of individuals," the PNC added.

PNC further said that if there are any issues with entering the Congress party using unverified forms, we will take all necessary steps to resolve such concerns by contacting the party's official email at [email protected].

The party acknowledged that, since its establishment in a multi-party competitive political environment, all parties face challenges in verifying the authenticity of application forms due to limited resources in the country.

The issue has escalated further after it was revealed that some members, including Vaikaradhoo MP Hussain Ziyad, were inducted into the PNC without his knowledge.