Adhaalath Party has endorsed a proposal to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day, following a decision by its consultative council.
In a post on X, the party said a majority of its consultative council approved the move on Wednesday, describing it as being in the interest of the country and its people.
“This decision was taken in the interest of the country and the people,” the party said.
The vote marks one of the first major decisions by the party’s new leadership, elected in January, headed by Sheikh Mohamed Shifan as president and Abdullah Rasheed as deputy leader.
The proposal to hold the two key elections simultaneously has also been backed by other parties, including:
- The ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)
- The Jumhooree Party (JP) led by Maamigili MP Qasim Ibrahim
- Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) led by Meedhoo MP Ahmed Siyam Mohamed (Sun Siyam)
Amending the Constitution to merge the two elections requires approval through a public referendum.
The referendum is scheduled to be held alongside the local council and women’s development committee elections on the 4th of April.
The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has opposed the move and filed a case at the Civil Court seeking to overturn President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s ratification of the amendment.
