A bill seeking to amend the Constitution to allow presidential and parliamentary elections to be held concurrently, through an adjustment to the term of Parliament, has been referred to Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee for review.

The constitutional amendment bill was sponsored by the Member of Parliament for the Inguraidhoo constituency, Ibrahim Falah, on behalf of the Government. The bill was presented for its first reading on Monday, after which it advanced to the next stage with the support of 46 members.

Under the proposed amendment, elections for Members of Parliament would be held at the same time as the presidential election, in line with Article 110 of the Constitution. The bill also introduces changes to how the parliamentary term is calculated.

The legislation stipulates that the term of Parliament shall be five years, commencing on 1 December, and that Parliament will be dissolved upon the expiry of this period. It further provides that the first sitting of a newly elected Parliament will be held on 1 December following the dissolution of the outgoing legislature, with elections conducted in accordance with the amended provisions.

In addition, the bill specifies that the term of the current 20th Parliament will expire on 1 December 2028, with parliamentary elections and the first sitting of the new Parliament to be held accordingly. Under the existing Constitution, the term of the 20th Parliament is set to expire in 2029.

Calls to align presidential and parliamentary elections have been made for several years, with proponents arguing that holding both elections simultaneously would increase voter turnout and significantly reduce election-related costs.