Advocating for a preferential voting system: President Muizzu

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said last night that he supports the introduction of a preferential voting system, which is the type of electoral system he has been advocating for.

President Muizzu made the statement last night via a message on his newly launched WhatsApp channel.

The renewed push for electoral reform comes as President Dr Mohamed Muizzu last week urged MPs to consider amending the Constitution to allow such a change.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has since backed the proposal, calling the idea of a single-round election with ranked-choice voting a “good idea” although the debate lead to differences of opinion among politicians and lawyers.

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, who served as Economic Minister in the previous administration, voiced opposition to the move. He said the current two-round system ensures that a president is elected with a clear mandate from the majority of voters; something especially important in a small country like Maldives, where votes can be counted and results announced within hours.

He said that holding presidential and parliamentary elections separately is a core principle of the Constitution.

He said the proposed changes to the electoral system should not infringe on voters rights.

“While millions have been lost to corruption and wasteful political spending has ballooned, there is no genuine intention behind this proposed change,” he said.

He said that it is necessary for broad public discussion before making any significant changes to the electoral system.

The preferential voting system, used in countries such as Sri Lanka and Australia (and in some forms in the US and UK), allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference; with “1” indicating the most preferred candidate.

How voting is carried out in the system:

- Ranking candidates: Voters number the candidates on the ballot paper from most to least preferred (1 being most preferred and so forth).

- First count: If no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest is eliminated.

- Redistribution: The eliminated candidate’s votes are then redistributed based on second preferences.

- Repeat until a majority: This process continues until one candidate gains an absolute majority.

Fayyaz opposes one-round presidential elections, calls it a restriction of rights

President Muizzu has previously expressed support for electing a president in a single round.

Last November, he said the Attorney General’s Office had begun studying the introduction of a preferential system, which he believes could be more efficient and cost-effective.

“It would mean a single-round presidential election, one that clearly identifies the winner and the runner-up. I believe that some countries.. some of our neighbouring countries follow such systems as well. If research shows it’s better for our country and the people want it, I will push for it through Parliament,” he said at the time.

President Muizzu also stressed the need for public consultation before introducing such significant changes to the electoral process.

Nasheed backs one round preferential voting system