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No change of system without the consent of President and ruling party: Speaker

Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has said a parliamentary system of governance will only be sought if President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the ruling party, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), consents to such a change.

Speaking in response to a question at the Ask Speaker programme organised by the Parliament of Maldives in collaboration with PSM, Speaker Nasheed said the most suitable system of governance in Maldives is the parliamentary system, which has been his favoured system since his school days.
However, the speaker said he has no intention of changing the system unless President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and members of MDP approve of the change. He added any change will also be determined by the public, as they had chosen a presidential system over a parliamentary system through a public referendum in 2007.

With MDP securing 65 seats at the 19th Session of the Parliament, and Nasheed becoming the speaker, many have accused him of attempting to change the system in order to get him appointed as the Prime Minister. In response to a question in this regard, he said he will become the prime minister if the country changes to parliamentary system, considering he is the leader of the majority party.

In response to a question about Nasheed contesting to in the 2023 Presidential Elections, Nasheed said it is too early to speak about the election of 2023. Adding that a discussion on whether he or President Solih contests has never materialised yet, he said a decision will be made after deliberations with the party and President Solih.

The parliament aims to hold a public talk show after the completion of every term at the parliament. With the first show held on December 7, many have expressed interest to ask questions to the speaker.