News Desk
A key parliamentary committee has approved a constitutional amendment that would allow presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on the same day, a move that would also shorten the current Majlis’ term.
The Independent Institutions Committee passed the bill with a majority of members present after consulting the Elections Commission, the Attorney General and political parties. According to committee members, most stakeholders supported the proposal.
The government‑sponsored amendment would align future parliamentary elections with the presidential vote under Article 110 of the Constitution. Under the bill, the term of Parliament would run for five years from 1 December, with the legislature dissolving automatically at the end of that period.
If enacted, the first session of the newly elected Parliament would convene on 1 December following dissolution. The current 20th Parliament, which under the existing Constitution would serve beyond that date, would instead see its term end on 1 December 2028, effectively shortening its tenure.
The change is intended to increase voter turnout and reduce the cost of running separate national elections. The committee’s approval clears the way for the bill to move to the full chamber for debate.
