The ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) official charter registered with the Elections Commission (EC) has been amended today, removing a requirement that the party’s Vice Presidents be elected via secret ballot.
Under the previous charter registered with the EC, the election of Vice Presidents was mandated to be conducted through a secret vote. However, the updated version now registered stipulates that Vice Presidents will be elected through an open show of hands.
Speaking to Adhadhu, Elections Commission spokesperson Hassan Zakariyya stated that the PNC had sought the commission’s endorsement for these amendments last year. He attributed the delay in publishing the revised charter on the EC website to an internal administrative oversight by the commission.
He further confirmed that the charter, including the amendments made by the PNC last year, has now been uploaded to the Elections Commission’s website.
The charter published on the PNC’s own website claims the document was amended by the party’s consultative council on May 15, 2025. However, an investigation by Adhadhu found that the amended charter had not been uploaded to the website as recently as January 2026.
While the PNC Senate held a meeting on May 15, 2025, to appoint two individuals to Vice Presidential positions, there was no public disclosure at the time indicating that a consultative council meeting had been convened to amend the party’s charter.
In a statement released yesterday, the PNC denied that its election steering committee had decided to conduct a non-secret vote. However, two senior PNC officials confirmed that the committee had indeed decided to proceed with an open ballot.
According to the PNC charter, the party must elect six Vice Presidents. Seven members have expressed interest in the positions so far: MP Ibrahim Shujau, MP Fathimath Sauda, MP Asma Rasheed, Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef, Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed, Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam, and Sports Minister Abdulla Rafiu.
The PNC charter further dictates that when the party is in power, the President of the Maldives serves as the party’s Supreme Leader and President. The Party President also holds ultimate authority over the formulation of party policies and general administration.
