Amendment submitted to combine presidential and parliamentary elections

A government-backed constitutional amendment has been submitted to the Parliament seeking to combine the two main elections in the Maldives, the presidential and the parliamentary elections, and shorten the ongoing 20th parliamentary assembly to accommodate the change. 

The bill to amend the constitution was submitted by ruling PNC’s Parliamentary Group Leader, Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah.

Falah, in his bill, proposed to combine the presidential and parliamentary elections, and for this purpose, change the inauguration of the new parliamentary assembly to December 1^st.

The next presidential election will take place in 2028.

If the proposed amendments are passed, it would mean the 21^st parliamentary assembly will be inaugurated on December 1^st in 2028, after a combined presidential and parliamentary election. This would effectively conclude the ongoing 20th parliamentary assembly, which is shortened in contrast to a normal five-year parliamentary term in order to accommodate the change. 

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu announced his administration’s plans to submit legislative amendments to combine the presidential and parliamentary elections in a bid to reduce state expenditure during a function held to inaugurate ruling PNC’s new party centre on July 7, 2024.

He cited this as the most beneficial course of action for Maldivians, citing that over MVR 180 million was incurred for the two rounds of the last presidential elections, and over MVR 120 million was incurred for the last parliamentary elections.

According to the President, combining both elections would help save at least MVR 120 million, which can be put better use, such as assisting low-income individuals.