The Parliament on Wednesday passed a resolution to direct the Election Commission to seek public opinion on changing the existing system of government through a referendum.
The resolution to conduct a referendum was approved unanimously by 35 members, following the recommendation of the Committee of the Whole House.
At a Parliament session held on September 13, Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb introduced a resolution calling to conduct a referendum on changing the existing government system from a presidential system to a parliamentary system. Ilyas' resolution was moved under Article 70 of the Constitution. This resolution was presented under Article 70 of the Constitution, which delineates the powers of the Parliament.
Originally proposing a referendum before November 30, MP Ilyas Labeeb later adjusted the timeline, seeking the vote's completion by October 30. The main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said it has no objection to the vote being taken on October 30.
The Elections Commission has said as per the General Elections Act, a timeframe of 30 to 45 days would be necessary to facilitate the referendum process, with an estimated cost of approximately MVR 40 million.
