Parliament Passes Resolution for Public Vote on Governance System Change

The Parliament has passed a resolution, today, with unanimous support, directing the Election Commission (ECM) to consult the public on October 30 regarding a potential change in the system of governance.

The resolution was introduced by The Democrats MP Ilyas Labeeb, who proposed during the committee of the parliament’s debate that Parliament directly request the ECM to hold a public vote on October 30 to gauge the public’s stance on altering the governance system in the Maldives.

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This move gained support from members, leading to the unanimous passage of the resolution, with 31 members backing the initiative.

Following the resolution’s passage, the session opened for further debate on the committee report, but no member requested an opportunity to discuss it further. The Majlis ultimately passed the resolution with a systematic vote, gaining unanimous support from 35 members.

Ilyas Labeeb invoked Article 70 of the Constitution, asserting Parliament’s authority to conduct a systematic vote independently when crucial matters affecting the people are at stake. Article 70 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to hold a general referendum on such matters.

During the debate, some members of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) expressed reservations. Maradhoo MDP MP Ibrahim Sharif argued against a systematic vote via resolution, suggesting that the Constitution be amended to enable a change in the system through an abstention vote requested by the President under Article 262.

Article 262 of the Constitution specifies that the President can only ratify a bill altering fundamental rights and freedoms, the parliamentary age limit, the presidency, and the method of presidential election if a majority of the people support it in a general vote.

Despite differing opinions, a majority of MDP members supported the resolution during the debate.

Notably, this resolution’s passage in the parliamentary committee reflects a broader political strategy. MDP members supported the resolution as they aim to secure the backing of The Democrats in the upcoming second round of the presidential election scheduled for September 30.

However, The Democrats’ interim council had initially proposed a systematic vote on September 28, a position later abandoned in favour of the October 30 date. The course of action that The Democrats will take in the second round of the presidential election remains uncertain at this juncture.