MDP congress approves ‘Bodu Badhalu’ constitutional reform agenda

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) congress has approved the “Bodu Badhalu” reform agenda proposed by former party chairperson Fayyaz Ismail and backed by MDP Chairperson and former President Mohamed Nasheed.

The resolution was approved on Saturday with 520 votes from 563 delegates present at the congress.

Fayyaz, who has announced plans to contest the MDP’s presidential primary, submitted the resolution to the congress with the support of former MP Ilyas Labeeb.

The resolution establishes the proposals contained in the Bodu Badhalu policy paper as MDP policies and commits the party to working towards constitutional amendments required to implement them.

One of the main proposals is to separate the positions of head of government and head of state, replacing the current arrangement in which the President holds both roles.

Under the proposed system, the head of government would be elected through a direct public vote, while the head of state would be elected by a proposed Special Majlis.

Nasheed and Fayyaz have previously advocated for Fayyaz to serve as head of government and Nasheed as head of state if the proposed system is introduced.

The Bodu Badhalu paper also proposes creating a Special Majlis comprising members of the People’s Majlis and elected local councillors. Under the proposal, the body would have a role in approving constitutional amendments and appointing and removing designated state officials, including the head of state.

Some constitutional amendments would also be subject to a public vote.

The proposals further call for a mechanism allowing voters to recall elected officials before the end of their terms. The Bodu Badhalu agenda has previously included the introduction of recall votes for elected officials as part of its proposed electoral reforms.

Another proposal calls for studying and implementing changes that would allow people to vote in local council elections based on where they live rather than their permanent registered address.

Changes are also proposed to the composition of the People’s Majlis. The paper calls for MPs to be elected on an atoll- and city-based system, with the overall number of MPs fixed rather than increasing in line with population growth. The reform agenda has also proposed changes to the existing parliamentary electoral system.

The Bodu Badhalu agenda also proposes changes to the judiciary. It calls for Supreme Court judges to be removable through a public vote and for the composition of the Judicial Service Commission to be changed to reduce political and government influence.

Another proposal calls for the establishment of a separate commission to hold independent institutions accountable, with its membership drawn from members of the public under a system to be determined.

The Bodu Badhalu initiative was developed under Fayyaz’s leadership and later received Nasheed’s backing. The two announced the reform programme together in April, when they said they would seek support within the MDP for changes to the country’s system of government.

The resolution’s approval makes the reform proposals part of the MDP’s policy platform. Implementing proposals that require changes to the Constitution would require the relevant constitutional and legislative processes beyond approval by the party congress.