Hassan Latheef to lead MDP’s constitutional reform initiative
The reform package was developed by Nasheed and former MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has established a new office within its secretariat to advance governance and constitutional reform proposals promoted by party Chairperson and former President Mohamed Nasheed.
The office, named "Bodu Badhalu" (The Big Change), was created following a resolution passed by the party's National Council shortly after Nasheed's election as chairperson on 12 June.
In a statement released on Sunday, the MDP confirmed that former Member of Parliament Hassan Latheef has been appointed Director General of the office.
Hassan previously served as MDP chairperson and as Minister of Youth during the party's first administration.
Nasheed announced his candidacy for the MDP chairmanship in April under the "Bodu Badhalu" banner. His campaign focused on proposals to reform the Constitution and restructure the country's system of governance.
The reform package was developed by Nasheed and former MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail.
One of the central proposals involves separating the roles of Head of State and Head of Government.
Under the proposal, the Head of Government would be directly elected by the public, while the Head of State would be appointed through a vote involving Members of Parliament and local councillors.
The proposal also calls for mechanisms that would make the Head of Government accountable to Parliament.
Other reforms outlined in the document include transferring constitutional amendment powers to a Grand Assembly comprising Members of Parliament and local councillors, changes to parliamentary constituency boundaries, the reservation of some parliamentary seats for women, and the creation of an oversight body for independent institutions.
The proposal further suggests that the removal of Supreme Court judges and members of independent institutions should require approval through a public referendum.
Speaking on Dhauru's "Ebbasve Debasvamaa" podcast, Hassan Latheef said the document currently in circulation is an initial draft intended to encourage public discussion.
He stated that a revised version incorporating feedback gathered during the MDP chairmanship campaign is being prepared and will be released in the near future.
The MDP said the newly established office will coordinate work related to the reform agenda and facilitate further consultation on the proposals.
