In a significant victory for the opposition, MDP, the Election Commission has greenlit the postponed parliamentary elections, now slated for April. The move comes following the President Dr. Muizzu’s endorsement of the Fifth Amendment to the General Elections Act, effectively prohibiting any electoral activities during the sacred month of Ramadan.
The decision, arrived at during an emergency meeting convened by the Election Commission, marks a departure from the President’s earlier stance, wherein he insisted on holding the elections in March. Despite his initial resistance, the bill was ultimately passed unchanged in yesterday’s parliamentary sitting after being sent back by the President for reconsideration last Monday.
Under constitutional provisions, if a bill is returned to Parliament without the President’s approval, lawmakers have the authority to pass it a second time unaltered. With a majority of Majlis members backing the measure, its passage becomes mandatory.
The opposition, buoyed by this outcome, views the postponed elections as a vindication of their efforts to ensure electoral integrity and respect for religious sensitivities.