MDP center vandalized with oil

Police have launched an investigation after the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s main party center in Male’ City was vandalized with black oil in an overnight attack.

According to the police, the vandalism of the MDP Dhandikoshi Jagaha, located in Chaandhanee Magu, was reported to the authorities at around 12:59 am on Wednesday.

The police said they were investigating the case.

The case comes amid allegations that the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) submitted membership forms with forged signatures to inflate its membership. Those fraudulently registered to PNC include scores of MDP members, including incumbent Vaikaradhoo MP Hussain Ziyad (Fitte) and former Manadhoo MP Mohamed Toriq.

Photos of the people who signed as witnesses in the fake forms were pasted on the gates of the Dhandikoshi Jagaha.

Black oil appears to have been thrown on the photos.

Top officials from the MDP recently met with members of the Elections Commission (EC) to discuss the issue of the alleged fake forms. The EC has pledged to cancel the fake forms and take action against those found responsible.

The PNC had conducted a nationwide membership drive last year with an ambitious goal of boosting its members to 100,000. The party’s parliamentary group leader Ibrahim Falah previously said the party admitted over 87,000 members during the drive.

On Tuesday, the PNC admitted that it may have unwittingly submitted fake membership forms to the EC, adding that it does not have the capability to verify membership forms.

The PNC said it will cooperate with the EC’s investigation.