The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has requested for additional time to arrange the referendum on changing the system of government.
The Parliament of the Maldives passed a resolution to hold a referendum on changing the system of government before the second round of the presidential election on September 30. However, ECM returned the resolution in order to seek solutions to various issues.
In a letter to the Speaker, ECM stated that more time is needed to make special arrangements before holding the referendum, such as formulating a voters' list and opening it for complaints as well as approving a budget. The commission is also seeking to approve the exact question to be placed on the ballot and formulate an information sheet on arguments for and against changing governance to a parliamentary system.
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. Around 154,000 citizens voted in the referendum, with 95,619 voting to establish a presidential system and 58,504 voting for a parliamentary system.