President Abdulla Yameen has urged his supporters to submit their re-registration applications to vote for September’s election to ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

During his visit, with First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim, to a PPM campaign office, President Abdulla Yameen told his supporters that if they submit their re-registration applications to other parties, those parties will not send the applications to the Elections Commission (EC).

A recording of what the President said has been made public.

During the visit, President Yameen said that PPM will submit any application given to them by a member of main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) but other parties will not submit any application given to them by a PPM member.

Also during the visit, a PPM re-registration official is heard telling President Yameen that very few MDP members submitted their re-registration applications to PPM.

In response, the First Lady said that PPM will receive re-registration applications from government-affiliated companies and government offices, which would include applications from MDP members and President Yameen said that PPM will send those applications to the EC.