Parliament Establishes Committee to Review Ramadan Election Ban Bill

The Parliament approved an amendment to the General Elections Act to forbid national elections during Ramadan, in yesterday’s session, and also appointed a committee to review the bill extensively.

The bill, introduced by the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on January 24, garnered attention due to concerns over the timing of parliamentary elections set for March 17, coinciding with the beginning of Ramadan.

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MP Mohamed Shifau from Ihavandhoo, the sponsor of the bill, highlighted the primary objective of the proposed amendment, which not only seeks to avoid elections during Ramadan but also aims to address the issue of a high number of invalid ballots. 

The proposed amendment includes the addition of two clauses to Article 43 of the General Elections Act.

However, dissenting opinions were voiced, notably by Inguraidhoo MP Hassan Ahmed, who switched allegiance from MDP to the ruling Progressive National Congress (PNC) in January. MP Hassan emphasised that holding elections during Ramadan has been commonplace in the Maldives and has not historically elicited significant public outcry.

The bill was accepted for further consideration with a vote of 39 in favor and 11 against. Additionally, Hulhumale’ MP Ali Niyaz’s proposal to establish a five-member committee to review the bill was approved with a vote of 39 to 12.

The decision to appoint these members received approval from 38 lawmakers, with 12 opposing votes.

Speaker Mohamed Aslam concluded the session by announcing that the bill would be forwarded to the committee for thorough examination.