Parliamentary Election: Parties, Promises and Public Perception

Firstly, let's look into the campaign of the PNC. The PNC came up with a slogan of ‘Dhiveheenge Raajje Majleehah’ for their Parliamentary campaign. Despite being in government for five months, and ‘Dhiveheenge Raajje’- (a literal translation of Maldivian’s Maldives/ or Pro-Maldives) being the prioritized presidential election campaign, the question arises, ‘what more could they do to ensure a ‘Dhiveheenge Raajje’ which they could not achieve in the past five months by securing a parliamentary majority? With this thought, it is unclear what exactly the ruling party intends to do with a majority of the parliament. The campaign rhetoric of PNC has largely been defensive, aimed at providing rebuttals for MDPs arguments. Furthermore, PNC has been advocating for a parliament majority to accomplish presidential pledges. However, it is essential to note that, according to the law, the role of a parliamentarian is not to directly assist the government in project implementation. Rather, it is to fulfil their obligations within the parliament by enacting, amending, and revising laws. While the President has said that there is a need to pass over 200 bills that are pending due to lack of parliamentary support, the legislative agenda of the ruling party and the specificities of these bills remain unclear. It is also to be noted that there are frictions within the PNC due to the government endorsing candidates who did not win parliamentary tickets from the party primary.

The Transparency Maldives has raised the concern of continued misuse of state resources. While misappropriation of state resources in ways to favour people and constituencies of importance is prevalent in any election, it also raises the question of how committed any incumbent government is to uphold the rules of democracy and the value of free and fair elections. It was also a concern raised during the previous Presidential Election when the MDP government was in power.

Since the loss of the Presidential Elections 2023, MDP has been steadfast in exposing what they allege are lies and deceit by the incumbent government, a narrative they continue to promote. Under their slogan of ‘Misraabu Hama Magah’- (literal translation of setting the direction right), MDP continues to advocate that their primary interest is to hold the government accountable. Based on their campaign rhetoric and given that the government provides rebuttals, the strategy seems to be working in favour of MDP. However, similar to the PNC campaign, MDP has also not put forward any comprehensive legislative agenda. Individual candidates on various occasions have expressed their interest in enacting legal frameworks, especially ones relating to the Dhaftharu (relating to the legality of Dhaftharu) and Binveriya/Gedhoruveriya schemes (related to housing). In addition, while MDP asks for a parliamentary majority, it is also worth questioning their past performance, considering they previously held a supermajority, and that also while being in the government. It prompts reflection on whether they met public expectations and, if not, whether they can do better in the opposition.

Looking at the campaign of the Democrats, again in the interest of holding government accountable, members and supporters of Democrats seem to be fractioned with no clear direction. Some candidates have recently pulled out and backed PNC Candidates. However, a few seasoned standing MPs advocate for pressing issues during parliamentary sittings. Considering the Democrats split from MDP in mid-2023 and were present for most of MDP's government, there are doubts about the credibility of their promises in light of limited action. On the other hand, certain non-party affiliated candidates are equally outspoken, leveraging their individual expertise, integrity, and advocacy on prevalent issues. Some seem to bring a collective voice to the table that resonates with the common needs.

As MDP splits to form the Democrats, and PPM divides to create PNC and PNF, alongside the presence of smaller parties, the public can somewhat assess each party's performance both in government and with a parliamentary majority. Despite widespread disillusionment with the current political system, abstaining from voting is not the solution to strengthening the system of which we are all part. In this polarized party system, it is important to question whether we should blindly vote for anyone who represents the parties or look at the traits, experience, qualifications and capabilities of candidates who understand his or her role in the parliament and promise us to diligently carry out their responsibility. While there may be popular preferences for candidates who prioritize immediate benefits like parks and employment opportunities over those who engage in political theatrics, it is ultimately our responsibility to choose candidates who pledge to protect our rights in ways that no one in power or parliament can curtail them.