Employees at various state-owned organizations have faced intimidation from their superiors who attempt to coerce them into signing with the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), a number of them have said. 

A member of the Maldives Ports Limited’s (MPL) staff – under the condition of anonymity – told RaajjeMV that everyone in his office has been forced to sign membership forms for the PPM. 

“People are taken to one of the conference rooms together in large numbers where they sit and sign the papers” the MPL employee said “I myself will not sign until they go ahead and tell me that I’m fired and to go home”.

He further said that those that even long-serving members of the staff are not exempt from having to sign the membership papers. 

Further, the Kaashidhoo Island’s council, in Kaafu atoll, told RaajjeMV earlier this week that residents of the island employed with the State Trading Organization and state-utilities company Fenaka have been asked to do the same. 

An employee with Felivaru Fisheries who refused to sign the membership forms was transferred to a complex run under Kooddoo – with significantly less ‘comfortable working conditions’.

This employee and one of his colleagues – who has had a similar experience – insisted that this was a political move to garner adequate support for the local council elections. 

In February, opposition parties had filed a complaint with the Elections Commission over the same allegations then as well. The Fenaka had even publicized the fact that it had garnered 2,300 new members for PPM.