Gov’t Proposes Electoral Changes, Including Single-Round Presidential Elections

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has outlined plans to hold public referendums on several proposed changes to the Maldives’ electoral system, including the abolition of the current two-round system in presidential elections in favour of a single-member plurality system.

Under the current system, presidential elections are conducted using a two-round or runoff system, where a candidate must secure an absolute majority. If no candidate achieves a majority in the first round, a second round is held between the top two candidates. Since the introduction of the multi-party system, no presidential candidate has won outright in the first round.

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Speaking at the official Republic Day ceremony Muizzu expressed his desire for presidents to be elected in the first round, without the need for a runoff. He stated that the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is conducting research on the matter, and he intends to call for a referendum on the issue. If public opinion supports the change, he will seek to pass amendments through Parliament to implement the new system ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Muizzu argued that this change would be cost-effective, as it would eliminate the need for a second round of voting.

In addition, the president proposed holding both the presidential and parliamentary elections concurrently. Noting that the two elections are held just months apart, he suggested that combining the elections would reduce the costs associated with conducting separate polls.

Another change Muizzu put forward is the reinstatement of November 11 as the official start date for presidential terms. The second Republic of the Maldives was established in 1968, and the first president, Ibrahim Nasir, took office on November 11 of that year. However, following a ruling by the Supreme Court in 2013 that delayed the election process, the start date for presidential terms was moved to November 17.

Muizzu acknowledged that this change could not be made unilaterally and would require a public referendum. He proposed that the new term for the next president, beginning in 2028, be moved to November 11, a shift of just one week earlier.

All three proposals would require amendments to the constitution and, as such, would necessitate public referendums to proceed.