Referendum on constitutional amendment to merge elections to be held alongside council polls

The referendum on whether to merge the presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on April 4, alongside the upcoming local council elections.

The President’s Office announced on Monday that the public vote will determine whether the President should grant assent to the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which seeks to mandate that presidential and parliamentary elections be held simultaneously.

The amendment was proposed last month by ruling PNC parliamentary group leader and Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falaah. In addition to merging the two main elections, the bill also proposes changing the start date of future parliamentary terms to December 1, beginning with the parliament elected after the 20th term.

The Independent Institutions Committee passed the amendment without changes last Monday. It was subsequently approved by the full chamber the next day, with Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla presiding.

Under the Constitution, any amendment that alters the electoral cycle requires a public referendum before the President can sign it into law. If a majority of voters support the amendment, the President must grant assent within 15 days of the official results being announced. If the amendment fails to secure a majority, the bill becomes void.

The President has now issued a resolution scheduling the referendum for April 4 and submitted the matter to the Elections Commission for implementation. The resolution has also been published in the Gazette.