Incorrect form submitted to EC under ex-state minister Thoriq's name

It has come to light that a membership form submitted to the Elections Commission (EC) in the name of former Heritage Ministry State Minister Mohamed Thoriq (Manadhoo Thoriq) contained another person's photograph and incorrect information.

Thoriq, a longstanding member of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) since 2005 and a member of the party's national assembly, was reportedly transferred to the People's National Congress (PNC) register without his consent.

Thoriq shared the details of the form and the ID card submitted to EC on social media. The form showed a photograph of another person and incorrectly used Thoriq’s Male’ registry number as his mother's address.

Additionally, the signature on the form did not match the one on his ID card.

Speaking with Mihaaru News, Thoriq said that he had previously reported the matter to the police and had now resubmitted the case with the form obtained from EC.

He said that he would go to court in the matter, stating, "I am not going to let this go. If I can go to court in this case, I will."

When questioned about the incident, EC member Hassan Zakariyya stated that the commission would decide on further actions once the police investigation concludes.

"It is a case being investigated by the police, and we will take a decision once the investigation is complete," Zakariyya said.

The incident has emerged amid rising concerns regarding the growth of PNC’s membership, which recently surpassed 50,000 members.

Allegations have surfaced that individuals from other political parties have been registered with PNC without their consent. However, PNC has denied the claims, and said that all forms submitted are valid.