All members who filed candidacies to be allowed to contest primary after protest

PNC’s leader, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, on Monday, decided to allow all members who filed candidacies to contest in the PPM-PNC coalition’s parliamentary primary after protests erupted following the rejection of the candidacies of some members.

A significant number of members gathered at PNC’s office last night in protest, voicing out their discontent over the decision.

PNC’s Chairperson, and Special Advisor to the President Abdul Raheem Abdulla, in a post on X on Monday, said President Muizzu, after consideration of all complaints received following the rejection of candidacies, has decided to allow all members who filed candidacies to contest the coalition’s parliamentary primary.

A large number of members filed candidacies to contest in the primary now slated for January 27^th, after postponing on two separate occasions.

On Sunday, some members who filed their candidacy were informed of the rejection of their candidacy via letters; signed by PNC’s Chairperson Abdul Raheem Abdulla. One letter accused a member of trying to create strife among the Progressive Congress coalition’s members in the wake of the 2023 presidential elections. Another letter said the member was ineligible to run as they had not sufficiently served the party.

A video showing some members of the party voice out their discontent is presently viral on social media. Subsequently, order inside the party’s office ceased to exist. Members, presumably whose candidacies were rejected, argue in the video, claiming they have been on the streets for the past five years and that there will be a few people who worked as sincerely as them for the presidential election.

The parliamentary election slated for March 17^th will fall on Ramadan.