Six individuals have been elected to serve as vice presidents of the ruling People’s National Congress, as cabinet ministers, senior administration spokespersons, and parliamentary representatives secured the party’s top governing seats in a high-stakes internal election.
Abdulla Rafiu, the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Fitness, led the balloting with 968 votes, official tallies showed. He was followed closely by Ahmed Shiyam, the Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources, who secured 964 votes, and Fathimath Sauda, the Member of Parliament for Nilandhoo, who garnered 923 votes. The remaining leadership posts were claimed by Ibrahim Shujau, the Member of Parliament for Baarashu, with 862 votes; Mohamed Saeed, the Minister of Economic Development, Transport and Trade, with 833 votes; and Mohamed Hussain Shareef, the Chief Government Spokesperson at the President’s Office, who captured 780 votes.
Two candidates failed to secure leadership seats in the eight-way contest, election administrators confirmed. Mohamed Nimal, the Chief Executive Officer of the Local Government Authority, received 301 votes, while Asma Rasheed, the Member of Parliament for Central Maafannu, concluded the balloting with 288 votes.
The six newly elected vice presidents are scheduled to sign their formal declarations of office on Wednesday evening during an official ceremony attended by the party leader, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. A strict procedural framework governed the contest, requiring any formal grievances regarding the outcome to be submitted in writing to Moosa Fathuhy, the Secretary General of the Electoral Committee, before 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, with official determinations scheduled to follow after 4:00 p.m.
Addressing delegates during the opening ceremony of the congress, President Muizzu underscored the necessity of institutional cohesion, observing that preserving party unity following the internal contest remained of paramount importance. Urging members to operate in a collaborative spirit, President Muizzu affirmed that the PNC, as the political organisation holding the largest membership in the nation, would consistently place the national interest above all else.