Moosa Ali Jaleel to contest Malé City mayoral election on PNC ticket

Former Chief of Defense Force and Defense Minister Moosa Ali Jaleel has decided to run for the position of Malé City Mayor in the upcoming Local Council Elections on the People's National Congress (PNC) ticket.

The elections are scheduled to take place on April 4 next year.

This announcement followed a media briefing by PNC Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim Falah, who confirmed that only one individual applied for the mayoral ticket before the party's deadline last Monday.

While the PNC did not officially name the candidate during the briefing, it has been confirmed that Moosa Ali Jaleel is the sole applicant for the position. A veteran of the military with 32 years of service, he retired in February 2012 and was honored with the prestigious Grand Order of Military Honour (Nishaan Askaree Verikamu-ge Izzaiy) last year.

In recent weeks, he has been building momentum through indirect social media campaigning. His entry into the race sets the stage for a high-profile contest, as he will likely face competition from the main opposition, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), where current Mayor Adam Azim and former MP Ali Azim are currently vying for their party's ticket.

Ibrahim Falah highlighted that the PNC has candidates for approximately 97 percent of the total seats available nationwide, which he cited as a testament to the public's trust and support for the ruling party.

The party is now preparing to hold its primary on December 27 to finalize candidates for positions where multiple members have applied.

Falah assured that the primary process would be conducted with transparency and in a manner that maintains the confidence of the party's general membership.