Adhaalath Party Backs Plan to Hold Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Together

The Adhaalath Party has announced its support for holding presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day.

The party confirmed its position on social media following an internal meeting with its Consultation Council (Mashvara Majlis), where members agreed to back the proposal in the upcoming public referendum. The referendum, scheduled for 4 April alongside the Local Council Election and the Women’s Development Committee (WDC) election, will seek public approval for the 8th Amendment to the Constitution.

The Adhaalath Party said it decided to vote “Yes” after considering the best interests of the nation and its citizens, noting that a majority of the council passed the decision.

The proposed amendment, passed by the People’s Majlis, seeks to mandate concurrent presidential and parliamentary elections and define the method for calculating the term of the People’s Majlis.

The Adhaalath Party joins several other political parties that have expressed support for the amendment, including the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), Jumhooree Party (JP), and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA). These parties have said the change would promote political stability and reduce the costs associated with holding separate elections.

However, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has opposed the proposal, criticising the plan as an attempt by the current administration to consolidate political power. In a statement released yesterday, MDP said it was concerned that synchronising elections would weaken public accountability during the government’s five-year term.