The People’s National congress (PNC) has called on the government to cease efforts to obstruct campaign efforts of the party and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

PNC had urged the government to heed this call in a joint statement released by the party last night. The statement expressed PNC’s concerns that joint campaign efforts with PPM for upcoming Parliamentary elections are being obstructed by the government. The party has also said that the government is also attempting to violate the party’s equal opportunity to conduct their campaign activities for the upcoming election.

The statement claimed that the government are posing various difficulties for opposition leader and former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom in unlawfully detaining him. PNC has added that Police had summoned and questioned the current interim leader of opposition, Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik close to three hours.

The statement by PNC has said that there is talk that members belonging to the party and PPM are to be detained. PNC said that this situation causes various obstructions in gaining support for the Parliamentary elections for the opposition parties of PPM and PNC.  

The statement reiterated that garnering support of voters is a right ensured for each candidate by the Constitution. As such, PNC said that the party strongly believes that the unrightful summoning of Parliamentary candidates is an effort to impact votes in the upcoming elections.

PNC then called on both the Elections Commission and the Human Rights Commission to look into these violations of candidate’s rights by the government. The statement also called on these Commissions to ensure that the rights of both PPM and PNC candidates.