Creative math: how PNC fabricated a "victory" from a losing battle
MDP outperformed the ruling PNC in the April 2026 local elections when counting actual votes cast. While PNC claimed victory by including 69 uncontested seats, official data shows MDP secured 50 more seats through active polling and maintained control of urban centers. Critics argue the government is using creative accounting and misinformation to mask a significant loss of public support.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu attends a special Tarawih prayer gathering hosted by PNC. | PNC | PNC
The main ruling People's National Congress (PNC) seems to think that if you repeat a lie often enough, the math will eventually stop mattering. Following the 4 April 2026 Local Council and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections, the ruling party has shifted into full-blown damage control, spinning a narrative so misleading it borders on delusional. After facing a blatant rejection at the polls, PNC has resorted to creative accounting to hide the fact that they actually lost.
The phantom majority
At present, PNC is patting itself on the back for allegedly snatching more seats than the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). However, a quick glance at the official Elections Commission (EC) data tells a much more embarrassing story for the ruling party. While MDP secured a solid 562 seats, PNC is waving around a figure of 581. The catch being that the number is inflated by seats that weren't even up for debate on election day.
Winning by default
A massive chunk of PNC’s "success", 69 seats to be exact, was decided long before a single ballot was cast. These were uncontested seats where no one else even bothered to run. Out of the 82 total individuals who walked into office without a fight, 33 were for councilor spots. That group included 28 from PNC, one from MDP, one from the Adhaalath Party (AP) and three independents.
The story repeats for WDCs, where 49 candidates were elected by default. This breakdown shows 41 from PNC, five from MDP, one from the AP and two independents.
The reality of the ballot box
When you strip away the freebies and look at the actual polling on April 4, PNC’s mask slips entirely. Through the actual public vote, they only scraped together 512 seats. This means that in the eyes of the voters who actually showed up, MDP didn't just win; they crushed PNC by a margin of 50 seats.
Urban rejection and power grabs
The situation looks even bleaker for the government in the cities. Urban voters essentially told the ruling party to get lost, choosing instead to stick with the seasoned mayors of the MDP. This MDP landslide occurred despite the government throwing everything it had at the campaign, including allegations of using state influence and dangling job offers to buy votes in both the Council and WDC races.
A pattern of deceit
Despite these cold, hard facts, PNC is stubbornly mixing their uncontested participation trophies with the actual election results to pretend they beat MDP. It’s a classic move from a party that has made spreading misinformation a habit.
By trying to bury the real choice made by the public, PNC is showing exactly how little respect they have for the democratic will of the people.
