Fayyaz opposes proposal for single-round presidential election
Fayyaz added that such reforms should be subject to wide public discussion and consultation.
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail has rejected the government’s proposed electoral amendment to introduce a single-round presidential election using a preferential voting system. He described the move as an attempt to restrict voter participation.
The government is preparing to conduct a public vote to change the current two-round system to a single-round preferential voting process.
In a post on X, Fayyaz stated that any change to the electoral system should not be made for the purpose of limiting the role of voters.
Fayyaz, who previously served as the Minister of Economic Development, said that in a country like the Maldives, where votes are counted and results are announced within hours, a president should be elected with a clear mandate. He questioned the justification of the proposed amendment under the pretext of reducing state expenditure while highlighting what he described as unnecessary government spending.
He also addressed other aspects of the proposed changes, stating:
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The separate conduct of presidential and parliamentary elections is a constitutional feature that enables Parliament to exercise its oversight role.
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Merging the two elections would undermine this function.
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However, he noted that combining presidential and local council elections could improve the implementation of development policies by aligning the priorities of the central and local governments.
Fayyaz added that such reforms should be subject to wide public discussion and consultation.
The government is also working on changing the schedule of the parliamentary and presidential elections to hold them simultaneously. The President has sought parliamentary support for this initiative.
The proposed shift to a single-round presidential election has been justified by the government as a cost-saving measure. It would require candidates to gain over 50% of the votes through voters’ ranked preferences in a single round.
