Parliament accepts bill on legal framework for public referendums
Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla announced that the bill had been referred to the Independent Institutions Committee of Parliament for review.
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Parliament on Wednesday accepted a government-sponsored bill to establish a legal framework for conducting public referendums. The bill was introduced ahead of potential referendums proposed by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.
The bill was presented to Parliament on Monday by Inguraidhoo MP and PNC Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim Falah. Debate on the proposed legislation continued over two days and concluded with a vote on whether to accept the bill.
A total of 62 members voted in favour of accepting the bill, including members of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). No members voted against. Following the vote, Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla announced that the bill had been referred to the Independent Institutions Committee of Parliament for review.
The proposed legislation aims to define the circumstances under which referendums may be held and outline the responsibilities of the authorities involved, including the Elections Commission.
President Muizzu has previously suggested that certain matters be decided by public referendum. These include:
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Abolishing the second round of presidential elections in favour of a single-round system
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Introducing a preferential voting system to elect the president
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Holding presidential and parliamentary elections on the same date
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Changing the presidential swearing-in date to 11 November
The bill is expected to establish procedures for initiating referendums through either parliamentary or presidential resolutions, and to set out timelines, voting conditions, and public information requirements ahead of any such vote.
