The Elections Commission has decided to register the People’s National Congress (PNC), after dispute over allegedly invalid membership forms. 

RaajjeMV understands that the decision was finalised on Thursday night, although the commission has been unavailable for comment. 

The commission has said that several of the membership forms submitted by the PNC for registration after establishment were invalid. 

Commission president Ahmed Shareef says that only about 1,900 of the 4,000 forms submitted for registration could be corroborated.

Shareef also said that contact numbers provided in several forms were discrepant as well, belonging to foreigners living in the Maldives.

In response to the commission’s claims, PNC accused the electoral and party watchdog of bias against them, threatening to force a no-confidence motion against its members ‘if that is what is required’. 

However, the party was ultimately allowed to hold its inaugral assembly after their members met with parliament speaker Qasim Ibrahim, who said publicly that the commission 'must' register the party.