Majlis Committee Approves to Host Parliamentary Elections Post-Ramadan

MV+ News Desk | November 26, 2023
Photo: People’s Majlis

The Committee on Independent Institutions of People’s Majlis has given the green light to a proposal suggesting to schedule next year’s parliamentary elections to take place after Ramadan.

The Election Commission of Maldives (ECM) has formally requested the Parliament to consider amending current legislation to accommodate the parliamentary elections within a timeframe post-Ramadan.

The ECM’s proposal aligns with the latest date specified by the law. This recommendation garnered unanimous approval from the committee members during the session.

Ismail Habeeb, Vice Chairman of the ECM, brought attention to the impending expiration of the 19th Parliament’s term on May 28. He apprised the committee of the ECM’s plan to conduct the parliamentary election on March 19, coinciding with ongoing mock examinations in schools.

In adapting to the election process, the ECM is utilising school halls as polling stations. Habeeb stressed the necessity of scheduling the election after the examination period, proposing March 30 as the earliest possible date, coinciding with the 20th day of Ramadan.

Habeeb underscored the potential challenges associated with holding the election during Ramadan, especially in its final 10 days. He cited difficulties in recruiting and training officials, along with other Election Commission activities and candidate campaigning.

To tackle these challenges, the ECM put forward two potential solutions. The first option involves shortening the campaign period for candidates from 30 to 20 days, facilitating an election date of March 9, two days before Ramadan begins. 

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