The Parliament of the Maldives has held the first reading of the constitutional amendment to switch the system of governance in the Maldives from a presidential system to a parliamentary system.
The bill was proposed by Parliamentarian Abdulla Jabir. The bill is expected to be debated on next week.
Speaking at the Parliament, Jabir said the Constitution of the Maldives does not explicitly state the system of governance in the Maldives, although the country opted for a presidential system following a public referendum in 2007. Jabir stated despite the country claiming to have a presidential system of governance, the nation has been governed with more features of a parliamentary system than a presidential system. He claims the amendment was proposed to reduce the damage to the public.
Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed said right now is not the ideal time to propose a change in the system of governance, although he has been a strong supporter of the parliamentary system.