Opposition leader and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail on Sunday criticised the government’s push for electoral reform, warning that it should not be used “as an excuse to limit the voices of voters.”
In a post on X, Fayyaz argued that in a small country like the Maldives, “where votes are tallied in a day, the President-elect should be sworn in with a clear mandate from the majority of the voting population.” He added that the government’s justification of proposed changes on the basis of cost-cutting was “insincere when wasteful political expenditure is at an all time high [sic].”
The remarks come as President Mohamed Muizzu begins efforts to seek a constitutional amendment to cancel the second round of the presidential election and implement a single round to elect the president, with the government citing economic considerations as the justification for the changes.
But Fayyaz warned that merging the two would undermine a crucial aspect of the country’s constitutional framework. “The staggering of presidential and parliamentary elections are a necessary feature of our constitution; to merge the two will limit the parliament’s ability to serve as a check to the administration,” he said.
While opposing the merger of parliamentary and presidential polls, the MDP chairperson acknowledged there was “merit in merging the presidential and local council elections.” He argued that such an alignment could improve governance by “allowing for better execution of developmental agendas.”
The government has yet to formally table any amendments to the electoral schedule, but Fayyaz’s comments signal potential political resistance if plans move forward.