Spokesperson: Claims MDP ‘buying’ ID cards for election are false

The main ruling MDP has denied allegations the party is “purchasing” national ID cards of people likely to vote for the opposition PPM-PNC’s candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu in the presidential election runoff.

Several medias have reported that people seen as likely to sell their ID cards are being offered MVR 20,000, and that the party is compiling lists of people deemed likely to sell their ID cards and approaching them with offers through presidents of the electoral districts they belong to, or their parliamentary representatives.

A video has also appeared on social media which purportedly shows someone selling their ID card.

However, MDP’s spokesperson Anas Abdul Sattar denied the allegations.

He described it as a series of false narratives being propagated to discredit the party.

In the first round of voting in the 2023 presidential election held on Saturday, the PPM-PNC coalition’s candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu won 46 percent with 101,635 votes, while MDP’s Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the incumbent president, won 39 percent with 86,161 votes.

Neither won the majority needed to win the election outright, and the winner is set to be decided in the second round of voting on September 30.