The country’s General Elections Act was amended on Sunday by the People’s Majlis, or parliament, to start the parliamentary election 10 days after the month of religious importance in the country of Sunni Muslims.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the opposition party, and its split Concerned about a potential decline in voting participation during the month-long fasting and prayer period from March 10, 2024, to April 9, 2024, the Democrats jointly supported the amendment.
However, the decision to move the elections to mid-April has, nonetheless, prompted concerns about the constitutionality of the move.
An upper-level representative of the Maldives Election Commission expressed apprehension about this to reporters in Male on Sunday. The Bill states that the exercise must be completed within the 30 days specified in the Constitution, however, there is hardly enough time, as it mentions 10 days following Ramadan.
Parliament of Maldives postpones the national election
The incumbent’s foreign policy actions that “put the Indian Ocean Region in danger” and his “attempts to curtail” the legislature served as the foundation for the MDP’s decision to impeach him. The Democrats, who own 13 members in the 80-member People’s Majlis, teamed up with the MDP, which has 42 MPs, and was assured of its numerical superiority. The highest court did, however, revoke a recent change to the standing rules that allowed empty seats to be excluded from the overall number of votes. The government’s petition to the Supreme Court on the issue forced the MDP to postpone its earlier promise to impeach President Mohamed Muizzu.
President Muizzu received some political respite as a result of the event, but his administration still confronts significant economic difficulties. The International Monetary Fund stated in a recent analysis that there is a substantial danger of financial hardship in the Maldives. The nation’s Inland Income Authority has reported a substantial shortfall in government income.
Maldivian Parliament’s General Elections Act bans voting during Ramadan
If the election date falls on a day of Ramadan, a plan put up by the Maldivian Democratic Party would push out the next round of parliamentary elections until after the holy month.
The postponement was granted by the Committee on Independent Institutions of Parliament, citing March 10th as the beginning day of Ramadan. To address the issue, the Election Commission (EC) suggested two solutions: reducing the 30-day campaign period for candidates to 20 days, which would enable the election to be held on March 9, two days before Ramadan, and increasing the 120 days to 140 days, which would enable the election to take place sooner rather than later.
The Maldives Elections Commission has postponed the parliamentary elections due to concerns about low voter turnout. The amendment to Article 43 states no elections would be held in the Muslim country during Ramadan. The ad hoc committee decided to postpone the polls after Ramadan. The bill passed with a majority vote, but the election date has not been announced.
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