Employees from state-owned enterprises (SOEs) were forced to attend the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) event last night (January 18) to open the campaign hall for its mayoral candidate Moosa Ali Jaleel.

A senior official of an SOE, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Adhadhu that the company's employees were informed to attend the event.

"Employees were taken from here to last night's event. They have now instructed to send employees to all party gatherings," he said.

An official from Housing Development Corporation (HDC) said senior officials ordered employees to attend last night's event.

There were relatively few people at the gathering in Henveiru district of Male' last night. PNC candidates for Male' and their campaign teams were present.

Speaking at the event, Moosa Ali Jaleel, who was awarded the highest national military honour, said the greatest honor of his life was to contest for the mayoral seat on the PNC ticket.

He said he would follow the example of President Mohamed Muizzu when he was the mayor of Male'.