Parliament Tables Emergency Motion Over Muizzu’s Delay in Ratifying Election Bill

MV+ News Desk | February 21, 2024
Photo: People’s Majilis

An emergency motion has been tabled in Parliament concerning President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s delay in ratifying a bill endorsed by the parliamentary body aimed at deferring the forthcoming parliamentary election.

The Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) had set the date for the parliamentary elections as March 17, a period coinciding with the early phase of Ramadan, prompting apprehensions regarding a potential decrease in voter participation.

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On February 11th, Parliament greenlit a legislative proposal to revise the General Elections Act, specifying that if an election coincides with Ramadan, a national poll must be conducted within 10 days following the conclusion of Ramadan, garnering approval from 46 MPs.

However, the implementation of this amendment hinges on the formal ratification of the bill by Muizzu. Despite the bill being dispatched for ratification on February 12th, it remains pending presidential approval.

Ungoofaru MP Mohamed Waheed (Wadde) submitted an urgent motion today, asserting that the amendment was introduced to alleviate challenges the public might encounter if the election coincides with Ramadan.

The motion voiced concerns over what it termed Muizzu’s “delay” in ratifying the bill, resulting in public uncertainty regarding the official election date.

Emphasising that the bill garnered support from MPs aligned with the government, the motion underscored that failure to ratify it would result in losses for the public.

MP Waheed highlighted Muizzu’s statement confirming the election date as March 17th despite the absence of ratification, attributing the delay to actions driven by personal motives.

The emergency motion secured acceptance with the backing of 23 MPs, with only one MP voting against it.

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