Parliament Committee Passes Referendum Bill with Minor Changes

The parliamentary committee reviewing the Public Referendum Bill has passed the legislation with a number of amendments, moving it one step closer to becoming law.

The Committee on Independent Institutions, which had earlier deliberated on the bill in private sessions, opened today’s meeting to the public. During the sitting, Kelaa MP Abdulla Shareef proposed several changes, which were approved by a majority of ruling party members.

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The bill, introduced on behalf of the government by Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah, seeks to establish a legal framework for holding national referendums on major issues. Falah described the draft legislation as a milestone in citizen empowerment, emphasising that it reflects President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s pledge to transfer greater decision-making power to the public.

Key Provisions

The proposed law aims to operationalise Article 262 of the Constitution, which allows for referendums, and sets out 39 detailed articles covering the roles of applicants, the Elections Commission of Maldives, and other state bodies.

• Shifting the presidential inauguration date from 17 November to 11 November, aligning it with Republic Day.
• Replacing the current two-round presidential election system with a new voting mechanism;
• Combining presidential and parliamentary elections to reduce costs and improve logistics;
• Granting both the president and Parliament the authority to call referendums on national matters.

The bill also stipulates that referendums must be held within 45 to 90 days of submission, with results to be announced within 14 days. All citizens aged 18 and above would be eligible to participate through a secret ballot.

Political Reactions

Ruling party MPs hailed the bill as a step forward for democratic governance. However, opposition members of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) raised questions about the timing and underlying intentions of the legislation.
With the committee stage now concluded, the bill will proceed to the parliamentary floor for endorsement. Despite Parliament currently being in recess, the ruling party has called for a sitting this week.