News Desk
In a significant move to reshape the nation’s electoral landscape, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu announced plans for a constitutional referendum on three key electoral reforms during his Republic Day address at Darbarugey.
The proposed changes include shifting the presidential inauguration date to November 11 to coincide with Republic Day, combining presidential and parliamentary elections, and eliminating the presidential election runoff system.
“These decisions cannot be made unilaterally by the executive or the parliament,” President Muizzu said, emphasizing the need for direct public consultation. “The people must decide.”
The current November 17 inauguration date was established following the 2013 presidential election, when legal challenges delayed the process. Both former Presidents Abdullah Yameen and Ibrahim Mohamed Solih were sworn in on this date.
For the island nation of approximately 500,000 people, Muizzu argued that consolidating presidential and parliamentary elections would be more efficient. He also advocated for abandoning the two-round presidential voting system in favor of a single round, citing cost savings for the state.
“Some neighboring countries have already adopted this system,” Muizzu noted, suggesting a shift toward a plurality voting method where the candidate with the most votes in the first round would win outright.
The announcement marks one of the most substantial proposed changes to Maldives’ electoral system since the country’s transition to multi-party democracy in 2008. No date has been set for the referendum.
