President says combined elections may reduce supermajority outcomes

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated that holding presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day could reduce the likelihood of a single party securing a large majority in the People’s Majlis.

The President has scheduled a public referendum for the 4th of next month to seek public opinion on aligning the two elections.

If approved, the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2029 would be brought forward to coincide with the presidential election in 2028.

Under the amendment passed by Parliament, the Majlis term would begin on 1 December for a period of five years instead of starting in May. The Majlis would be dissolved at the end of the term.

Speaking at a youth meeting titled ‘Express with President’ on Saturday night, the President said that under the current system, parliamentary seats are often divided between two main parties, typically within ranges of 40 to 50 or 40 to 60 seats.

He said holding both elections on the same day could lead to a different distribution of seats across parties.

“The opportunity for any single party to obtain 75% or 80% of the seats will be reduced if elections are held on the same day. This allows competition without influence linked to prior results,” the President said.

He added that when elections are held separately, the outcome of the presidential election may affect the parliamentary election.

The President said the proposal is not based on political advantage and noted that under the current system, a governing party could retain a parliamentary majority even after losing a presidential election.

He said the aim of the proposal is to change the current arrangement to allow broader representation.

At present, the ruling People’s National Congress holds a majority in Parliament. The Maldivian Democratic Party also held a majority during its previous administration. Concerns have been raised that large majorities may affect oversight of the government.