Should PNC's violent altercation serve as the standard?

The double standards are almost impressive.

If any other political faction had engaged in the kind of public meltdown observed on Saturday, the collective outrage would be loud enough to shake the earth’s core.

The non-stop finger-pointing would dominate the airwaves, and even the politicians who love to wrap themselves in religious garments would be churning out an endless stream of holy condemnation.

However, when it happens at the top, we get nothing but crickets.

A lesson in exemplary behavior

The spectacle in question belongs entirely to the internal warfare of the main ruling People’s National Congress (PNC).

Physical altercations and chaotic brawls tore through the ruling party’s recent internal primary elections.

It takes a special kind of organizational prowess to require full police intervention during a meeting that was supposed to simply hand out party tickets.

Thanks to the regime's loyalists, the country got to witness the ruling party mark its territory by destroying state property during their own internal vote.

This particular exhibition of democratic excellence unfolded right by the North Hulhumalé constituency ballot box, located inside Kaamil Didi School in Hulhumalé Phase II. Video evidence captured the glorious moment when two opposing factions moved past shouting and got straight to throwing punches.

The school’s personal property including tables and chairs were thoroughly wrecked in the process. For good measure, the glass doors leading into the school hall were shattered.

The footage also highlights law enforcement officers visibly sweating as they fought to get the chaos under control.

A paid fight club

What makes this performance truly spectacular is the pedigree of the participants. PNC regularly masquerades as the gold standard of political discipline while hurling insults at every other party.

However, the people throwing fists in the video happen to hold actual political jobs within the current government. Multiple political appointees were caught red-handed on camera participating in the brawl.

The roster of brawlers includes Ismail Azmee, who draws a government paycheck for a Public Relations role at the President’s Office, and Mohamed Yaish, who occupies a seat as a Senior Political Director within the administration.

The irony is thick enough to choke on. This explosion of rage happened shortly after the PNC Chairperson and Speaker of the People’s Majlis, Abdul Raheem Abdulla, publicly told other political parties to look at PNC as the ultimate role model.

Blind eyes and deep pockets

Once the dust settled and the school property was thoroughly smashed, both Abdul Raheem and the PNC Parliamentary Group Leader, Ibrahim Falah who is typically the loudest critic when anyone else misbehaves, made a grand appearance at the disaster zone.

They showed up right as the vote-counting process ground to a halt because all law and order had evaporated into violence. The ballots for that specific constituency were ultimately tallied up only because these two top officials stood over the boxes.

But the real comedy lies in the absolute muteness of the party elite. Up to this very moment, PNC has completely avoided putting out any sort of official press release regarding the destruction brought upon Kaamil Didi Preschool.

When pressed on whether the party would actually step up, take accountability, or pay out of pocket to fix the school they broke, both Abdul Raheem and Falah suddenly lost their ability to speak, offering nothing but silence.

A gang that does not exist

Naturally, the spin doctors had to find a scapegoat.

In the wake of the riot, online cheerleaders for the administration and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu rushed to social media to pin the blame on Hussain Shareef, the sitting MP for North Hulhumalé constituency.

These internet loyalists boldly claimed online that the riot was actually cooked up by a criminal gang dispatched by Shareef.

There is just one tiny flaw in that narrative, if we listen to the incumbent’s own past declarations, criminal gangs have been “completely wiped out” and no longer exist in the Maldives.

Internal party rivalry is normal, but taking it to the point of smashing up public and state property sets a new, deeply troubling benchmark.

PNC has officially carved its name into the history books with an unprecedented record. It is a bold statement, especially after telling the public to copy their behavior.

So now the country is left to wonder if this wreckage is the shining example we are all supposed to imitate.

Are citizens meant to emulate a system that stays silent when public property is destroyed and police officers are attacked?

Or perhaps the true lesson here is just a masterclass in total indifference and zero accountability.