Shamheed alleges government is using the April 4 referendum to extend its term under the guise of merging elections

Hulhumale' South MP Dr. Ahmed Shamheed on Thursday accused the government of deceiving the public and using the upcoming referendum as a way to extend its term.

The government plans to hold a referendum on April 4, alongside the local council elections, to decide whether to combine the presidential and parliamentary elections.

Speaking on SSTV’s Baaru Hathareh programme, Shamheed alleged that the vote was being framed dishonestly.

“In fact, the government is making a big deception in the first place. That is saying that this is a vote to merge two elections. There is no requirement in the Constitution to allow for a referendum vote to merge two elections,” he said.

Shamheed argued that under the Constitution, a referendum is required only for amendments to chapters concerning fundamental rights or the structure of the state. He claimed that the current referendum is effectively asking the public whether they want to change the length of the ongoing parliamentary term.

He said there are legal ways to combine the presidential and parliamentary elections without a referendum, though he did not elaborate on those methods. According to him, the public remains confused about the true purpose of the vote.

The MDP has previously accused the government of attempting to extend its term through constitutional changes, an allegation the government has repeatedly denied.

The government has stated that its proposal would shorten the term of the 20th Parliament so that both elections can be held on the same day in 2028. Officials say any extension of the presidential term would require a separate vote.