Chairperson of the People's National Congress (PNC) Abdul Raheem Abdulla has stated that the ruling PPM/PNC coalition will step up efforts for future elections. He made the remark during a press conference held after the Male' City Mayoral by-election, in which opposition MDP candidate Adam Azim won with 45% of the vote, beating PNC candidate Azima Shakoor who received 29% of the votes.
Speaking at the press conference, Abdul Raheem highlighted a key factor in the election, attributing it to insufficient attention given to the electoral process. He clarified that PNC had been engrossed in forming the administration, which inadvertently led to less focus on party members. As such, he expressed his commitment to rectify the issue by fostering closer relationships with members moving forward. He also extended an apology to the members for the perceived shortcomings in election efforts.
Additionally, Abdul Raheem reassured party members that the party leadership would not be a source of disappointment in the future. He emphasised the determination of the PPM/PNC coalition to approach upcoming elections with more energy and achieve more wins in future elections.
In the Male' City Council by-election, PNC won two seats and MDP won one seat. The Male' City Council by-election and Male' City Mayoral by-election were both held on January 13. The position of Male’ City mayor became vacant after President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu resigned to assume office in November. Simultaneously, the three council seats became vacant as councilors resigned to take on roles in the new administration.