PPM MP Shiyam backs govt system referendum
The Naifaru MP said political leader should give consideration to the proposed referendum as 56,900 eligible voters did not cast their ballot.
Opposition PPM MP Ahmed Shiyam on Tuesday backed a referendum on changing the system of governance from presidential to parliamentary.
Shiyam made the remarks during the debate on a resolution submitted by the Democrats' Ilyas Labeeb, calling for a referendum on changing the governance system before the runoff.
The Naifaru MP said political leader should give consideration to the proposed referendum as 56,900 eligible voters did not cast their ballot. Shiyam said a referendum should determine if the low turnout was because of the 16-year-old presidential system in Maldives.
In an August 2007 referendum, the Maldivian people opted for a presidential over a parliamentary system. The then president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom supported the presidential system while the MDP and speaker Mohamed Nasheed supported the parliamentary system.
The result of the 2007 referendum:
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Presidential system - 95,619 votes (62.04%)
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Parliamentary system - 58,504 votes (37.96%)
