Proposed constitutional bill requires referendum to amend referendum provision

A proposed constitutional amendment aims to introduce a requirement for public consultation through a referendum to amend critical articles of the constitution.

The bill is set to be read and debated in parliament on Wednesday.

The proposed amendment, presented by People's National Congress (PNC) Parliamentary Group Deputy Leader Mohamed Shahid on behalf of the government, seeks to modify Article 262 of the constitution. The article currently mandates that amendments to specific provisions of the constitution must be approved in a national referendum if passed by parliament and endorsed by the president. The three provisions subject to this requirement are:

Shahid's proposal seeks to expand the public consultation requirement under Article 262 to include any amendments made to the article itself, ensuring that changes to this process cannot be undertaken without public input.

President Mohamed Muizzu recently outlined several issues he intends to bring to a public vote. These include:

Shahid also proposed amendments to Article 3 of the constitution, which pertains to the Maldives' territory. Article 3 currently defines the country's territory as including land, air, sea, seabed, and the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as established by law.

The constitution presently requires a two-thirds majority in parliament to amend provisions concerning territorial changes. Shahid’s proposed amendment introduces a stricter requirement, ensuring that any modifications to the boundaries of inland waters, archipelagic waters, territorial waters, and the EEZ must also receive approval through a two-thirds majority in parliament.