Muizz says focus on runoff, not on system referendum
If a referendum is held, it will be take place after Saturday's runoff, but before the winner is sworn in as president.
By
Shahudha Mohamed
Opposition PPM-PNC candidate Dr Mohamed Muizzu said on Friday that he does not want to debate on the change government system in Maldives at the moment and that his attention is focused on the second round of the elections.
Parliament on Thursday sent to the Elections Commission a resolution passed at Wednesday's sitting seeking a referendum on the system of governance in Maldives by October 30.
The Elections Commission (EC) has since requested the parliament to determine and provide the question to be asked of the people in the public referendum seeking views on changing the country's governance system.
If a referendum is held, it will be take place after Saturday's runoff, but before the winner is sworn in as president.
Muizz answered some questions from journalists on Friday while concluding his tour of central and northern islands for the second round of the election. When asked about his views on the resolution passed and submitted to the EC for a referendum on changing the system of government from presidential to parliamentary, Muizz said he did not want to debate on it.
"I don't want to go into that debate. I'm focusing on the election," he said.
Muizz, who won the first round with 46% of the vote, said he was confident of winning the second round. As such, he believes:
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The three atolls where he did not get a majority in the last round will bring out better results than the first round
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Candidates who fail in the first round and decide not to support a particular party in the second round will raise a reasonable number of votes from those who voted in the first round
The Democrats, led by speaker Mohamed Nasheed who has always advocated for a parliamentary system, submitted the resolution to the parliament seeking a referendum before October 30 on the choice of governance system.
The resolution, which called for the parliament to directly ask the Elections Commission to hold the referendum, was passed with MDP's backing as well.
Although the resolution mandated the parliament to ask the Elections Commission to hold the referendum, President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih believes:
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Referendum on governance system can be taken only after the parliament passes a motion by a three-fourth majority or with the backing of 66 out of the 87 MPs, sends motion to him, following which he can request the Elections Commission to hold a referendum
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If the resolution is passed by the parliament and sent to him, he will request the Elections Commission to take the vote before October 30, as per Ilyas's resolution, before the presidential runoff
