Falah Backs Holding Referendum to Combine National Elections on the Same Day as Local Council Elections

Ibrahim Falah, leader of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) parliamentary group, has backed a government proposal to hold the referendum on combining presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day as the local council and Women’s Development Committee elections scheduled for April.

The proposed constitutional amendment would merge presidential and parliamentary elections and shorten the term of the current 20th People’s Majlis, according to remarks made at the launch of the party’s campaign office in the Central Henveyru constituency on Sunday evening.

A constitutional amendment bill submitted by Falah is currently being reviewed by the Committee on Independent Institutions. During last week’s meeting, Baarashu MP Ibrahim Shujau proposed that the committee meet the Elections Commission of Maldives, the Attorney General’s Office (Maldives) and political parties. Those meetings are scheduled to be held on Monday.

Regular parliamentary sittings are due to resume on Thursday. Speaking at Sunday’s event, Falah said the ruling party intended to pursue the necessary constitutional changes “as soon as the parliament resumes”, and to send the amendments to the President for approval.

“We are counting down six months short of the parliamentary term and preparing for a system where parliamentary and presidential elections can be held together in the near future,” he said.

Falah also warned of additional costs if the elections are not held together. He said that if the Elections Commission does not proceed with a vote on 4 April, the budget would need an extra MVR 80 million.

He said the government had “great support” for the constitutional changes, but accused the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of opposing the reforms because, he claimed, the changes would extend the government’s time in power and increase the chances of President Mohamed Muizzu being re-elected.

Falaah further criticised the MDP’s approach to the upcoming local council elections, disputing the opposition’s argument that councils should be elected to hold the government accountable. He said the separation of powers in the current system meant there was no need to create additional mechanisms for accountability through local bodies.