News Desk
Jumhooree Party leader and Maamigili MP Qasim Ibrahim has urged political leaders to take seriously the proposal to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day, saying the Maldives cannot afford further delays in long‑promised reforms.
Speaking on a PSM programme, Qasim said previous administrations had repeatedly failed to act on key constitutional issues, including reforming the Judicial Service Commission and controlling the expansion of the Majlis. He said the MDP government had asked coalition partners to support changes to the JSC, yet no meaningful action followed.
“When Ibrahim Mohamed Solih came to power, he said he would change the JSC. The entire term passed without anything tangible,” Qasim said.
He added that he had personally proposed locking the number of MPs at 82 or 87, but the MDP‑dominated Majlis rejected the amendment. “I was in the coalition. Another MP also proposed it twice. The MDP rejected it every time,” he said.
Qasim said he welcomed President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s decision to move ahead with constitutional amendments, including synchronising the two main elections, maintaining the number of MPs and reforming the JSC Act. The President has said these changes will be submitted together.
Qasim argued that reforms must be introduced without delay, but stressed that amendments should not weaken the powers of the head of state. “With power, you can do something right or something wrong. Without power, you cannot do anything. Day by day, the country will fall apart,” he said.
He said holding the presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day would end the six‑month period of political manoeuvring that follows every presidential election. “So far, every leader has spent six months after being elected working only for political gain. The aim has not been to serve the people,” he said.
Qasim said synchronising the elections would give the public a clearer choice. “If the presidential and Majlis elections are held on the same day, the person who wins the presidency will get the Majlis if the people want it. If not, they will not. It is straightforward,” he said.
He criticised the 19th Parliament for dropping the proposal to pause the automatic increase in constituencies based on population increments. He said the current system has led to an unnecessary expansion of the Majlis, placing a financial burden on the state.
The number of MPs has risen from 77 in 2009 to 85 in 2014, 87 in 2019 and 93 in the current term. Qasim previously proposed capping the number at 87, but the amendment did not pass.
He said each additional MP costs the state about MVR 1 million annually in salaries and allowances. “Keeping the number of MPs fixed will ease the financial burden,” he said.
Qasim said the Maldives must update its laws to reflect present‑day realities. “Every time, politicians promise the people they will reform things when they come to power. Then they forget it once they are in the decision‑making seat,” he said.
He said the country will only benefit if reforms are accelerated and implemented with consistency.
