PNC says no need to delay referendum on election merger

The ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) said on Monday that political parties have had sufficient time to inform the public about the proposal to merge presidential and parliamentary elections and that there is no need to delay a referendum on the issue.

The remarks were made during a meeting of the Independent Institutions Committee, which is reviewing the government’s proposed constitutional amendment to merge the two elections. The committee met political parties on Monday afternoon as part of its consultations.

During the meeting, several parties expressed concern that holding the referendum on the same day as the upcoming local council elections would not allow adequate time to raise public awareness.

PNC vice-president and Minister of Local Government Adam Shareef, who represented the party at the meeting, said the presidential and parliamentary elections should be held together. He said the PNC had presented this policy to voters during recent presidential and parliamentary election campaigns.

“The people gave our party 75 seats in Parliament after we campaigned on our policies,” Shareef said. He added that the party has consistently discussed the issue and that other parties had chosen not to do so.

Shareef said assessing the implications of holding the two elections together did not require extensive research and that the benefits and drawbacks could be understood through existing legal and political frameworks.

He said governments in the Maldives spend a significant amount of time campaigning for elections, adding that a newly formed administration loses several months in parliamentary processes following an election. He said that if opposition parties hold a large number of seats, efforts may be made to remove the president.

Shareef said holding the presidential and parliamentary elections together would be more efficient for political parties.

Among the parties participating in the committee meeting, the Adhaalath Party and the Maldives Development Alliance said they supported merging the two elections but opposed holding the referendum alongside the local council elections.

The People’s National Front called for the bill to be withdrawn and for any vote to be held after wider public awareness efforts. The party said merging the two elections would be a mistake.

Hisan Hussain, vice-president of the Maldivian Democratic Party, said the proposed change should not be rushed and that major constitutional amendments require more time. He said decisions within the party are not made solely by its leadership.

Hisan and party spokesperson Anas Abdul Sattar, who represented the Maldivian Democratic Party at the meeting, later left the committee session.