Former president supports Fayyaz’s plan to reshape Maldives’ governance and empower citizens

Former President Mohamed Nasheed and former MDP Chairman Fayyaz Ismail on Sunday proposed major changes to the Constitution and the system of governance, including separating the roles of head of state and head of government.

At a joint press conference called Bodu Badhalu held by the two, Fayyaz and Nasheed outlined proposed changes to the Constitution, the form of government, the Parliament, public participation, and economic prosperity.

One of the most notable proposals is to designate the supreme head of state and the head of government as two different positions. They said the system should be structured so that the head of government is accountable to Parliament, while the head of state remains the President.

Explaining the proposals, Fayyaz said concerns about the governance system in Maldives are frequently raised. He said the President should always be accountable to Parliament.

“We are proposing that there should be someone in charge of peace and politics, such as a head of state and a head of government,” Fayyaz said.

He said the head of state should be politically neutral and able to speak and act on important national issues.

“We think it would be a good change for the head of state to have a role to protect the power of the people and the power of the Constitution,” Fayyaz said.

He said the head of state would be appointed jointly by the councils and Parliament.

The proposals also include establishing an oversight commission to hold independent institutions accountable, removing Supreme Court judges through public vote, and allowing councils and Parliament to jointly make major decisions.

Fayyaz said the Constitution lacks clarity in some areas, creating opportunities for those who do not believe in laws and democracy to undermine people’s rights.

“Therefore, one of our proposals is that all the provisions for the protection of the people, including those related to democracy and people’s empowerment, should be written in the Constitution very clearly and not interpreted in different ways,” he said.

He said the current system is unable to hold the government accountable. When the ruling party holds a parliamentary majority, checks and balances are lost, and the courts can be influenced, he said.

The two also proposed changes to the composition of Parliament, increasing opportunities for women, and giving the public the power to remove members.

Other proposals include increasing public opinion votes, giving people the direct power to remove the supreme head of state, curbing the state’s wasteful exploitation of natural resources, and ensuring the state honours its agreements with businesses.

The meeting was attended by Nasheed, who announced he would contest for the MDP chairpersonship again and expressed support for Fayyaz’s presidential bid. He also expressed interest in serving as the supreme head of state.

There has long been debate within the MDP about changing the system of governance. Nasheed has consistently advocated for a parliamentary system.

Before and after former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih took office, Nasheed told Solih he wanted to introduce a parliamentary system in Maldives. He also expressed readiness to serve as prime minister.

Nasheed sought a vote on systemic change during Solih’s presidency, but many political leaders opposed it at the time.

As the debate intensified, Solih’s 2023 presidential ticket deepened divisions within the MDP. Nasheed’s supporters formed a separate faction, later leaving the party to form The Democrats.

The Democrats contested the presidential election, but Solih lost after the MDP vote split between him and Nasheed.

Earlier in this administration, Nasheed said he would participate in the government. However, after leaving The Democrats, the party’s leaders decided to rejoin the MDP later this year.

After Nasheed rejoined, Solih twice said they had reconciled following earlier disputes.

Nasheed has now declared support for Fayyaz in the upcoming presidential election, while Solih has also expressed interest in the party’s ticket.