Parties other than PNC call for postponing referendum on merging presidential and parliamentary elections

Several political parties, excluding the ruling PNC, on Monday called for the postponement of the public referendum on merging the presidential and parliamentary elections, instead of holding it alongside the April 4 local council elections.

The discussion follows comments by PNC Parliamentary Group Leader and Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falaah, who said on Sunday that he believed a public vote would be taken to merge the two national elections with the council elections.

Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee met on Monday to review the government’s proposed constitutional amendment to combine the presidential and parliamentary elections. Representatives from the Attorney General’s Office, the Elections Commission, and multiple political parties attended.

While both the ruling PNC and the main opposition MDP were present, the MDP and former President Abdulla Yameen’s PNF voiced strong opposition to the proposed amendment.  

MDP Vice President Hisaan Hussain said the party had not been informed of the core justification for holding the referendum now, adding that constitutional changes should not be rushed. She stressed that the public must be fully informed before any amendment is considered.

Representing the PNF, Ali Shah and Adam Asif, members of Yameen’s legal team, argued that merging the two main elections would push the country toward an authoritarian system. The party called for the proposal to be withdrawn.

Adhaalath Party Secretary General Hussain Zinah said the party supports merging the elections, but noted that such a major reform should not be implemented immediately. He said it would be more appropriate to introduce the change for the next election cycle, allowing sufficient time for public awareness and political preparation.

Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) Registrar Mohamed Umar also said the public needs time to understand the implications of the amendment, adding that the current timeline does not allow adequate preparation for a referendum.

At the meeting, Elections Commission Chairman Mohamed Zahid said the referendum on merging the two main elections with the upcoming council elections must be completed before the 18th of this month if it is to proceed. He added that holding the presidential, parliamentary, and council elections on the same day would incur an additional cost of MVR 20 million.