The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has stated that it is prepared to hold a referendum on changing the system of government but is unclear as to the exact question to ask.
At a press conference, Vice President of ECM Ismail Habeeb said that the public needs to be clear on the exact question and topic they are being asked to vote on. He said that the Parliament has not provided the exact question to put on the ballot. He highlighted other issues such as the need to formulate a voters' registry and approve a budget to hold the referendum. As such, he said that ECM is prepared to hold a referendum but there are many legal issues that need to be addressed beforehand. He added that the commission is currently formulating guidelines on holding the referendum.
Member of The Democrats Ilyas Labeeb proposed the resolution to hold a referendum on changing the system of government before the second round of the presidential election on September 30. The resolution passed with 35 of the 37 parliamentarians present in favour, following its approval by the Committee of the Whole House.
ECM submitted questions to the Parliament after receiving the resolution and sought legal recommendations prior to making a decision. The Constitution of Maldives specifies that the system of government in the country is to be determined by a referendum. In 2007, the people's decision was in favour of adopting a presidential system for the country.