Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) registered 11,000 new members on Saturday as the party intensifies efforts to boost membership before the next presidential elections in 2018.
The initiative led by first lady Fathimath Ibrahim, cabinet ministers, government lawmakers and senior state officials had visited households throughout the capital Male to get the signatures.
Membership forms had also been brought in from the islands in a drive coordinated by the various PPM branches in the Atolls.
Government lawmaker Ibrahim Falah described the first lady's efforts as "extraordinary" insisting that the party would head into the elections with 100,000 members.
"I would say that our rival parties must be wary of our efforts. We've managed to secure 11,000 members in just a single day's work. Hats off to the first lady for the way she has organized this," the Inguraidhoo MP said.
