News Desk
Male’ — President Dr. Mohammed Muizzu has thrown his support behind a major electoral reform, advocating for a preferential voting system that would eliminate the need for a second round in presidential elections. In a message posted to his WhatsApp channel, a platform he started using recently to communicate directly with citizens, Mr. Muizzu outlined his vision for a more efficient electoral process, arguing that the new system would better reflect the will of the people in a single round of voting.
Under the proposed preferential voting system, voters would rank candidates in order of preference, allowing for a winner to be determined without requiring a majority of first-choice votes. If no candidate secures a majority, lower-ranked preferences would be redistributed until a winner emerges. This change, Mr. Muizzu said, would end the costly and time-consuming practice of holding a second round of voting, which has been necessary in every presidential election since the Maldives adopted its current system.
The proposal aligns with sentiments expressed by former President Mohammed Nasheed, who has also publicly supported preferential voting. In a recent social media post, Mr. Nasheed echoed Mr. Muizzu’s call for reform, suggesting it could strengthen democratic processes in the country.
The Maldives’ current electoral system requires a candidate to win 50 percent of the vote plus one additional vote to claim victory in the first round. Failing that, a runoff election is held between the top two candidates. The Election Commission has repeatedly highlighted the significant financial burden of conducting two rounds, a concern that has gained traction amid calls for fiscal prudence.
Mr. Muizzu’s proposal goes further, as he also advocates holding presidential and parliamentary elections concurrently under the new system. This, he argues, would reduce costs and streamline the democratic process, allowing the government to focus on governance rather than prolonged election cycles.
The announcement comes at a time when electoral reforms are under scrutiny in the region, with neighboring Sri Lanka recently conducting a presidential election that required only one round after a candidate secured a clear majority. Analysts suggest that Mr. Muizzu’s push for reform may be influenced by such examples, as well as growing domestic calls to modernize the Maldives’ electoral framework.
While the proposal has garnered support from some quarters, it is likely not to face any meaningful debate in the People’s Majlis, the country’s parliament, where his party enjoys a super majority. Critics may argue that preferential voting could complicate the process for voters in a nation where literacy rates, while high, political awareness, vary across its dispersed atolls.
For now, Mr. Muizzu’s WhatsApp message has sparked a national conversation about the future of democracy in the Maldives, with many watching closely to see whether his vision for a single-round election will come to fruition.
