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 passed by the People’s Majlis with the support of 72 members.

The constitutional amendment bill was sponsored by Inguraidhoo constituency Member of Parliament Ibrahim Falah on behalf of the Government.

Under the amendment, elections for Members of Parliament will be held concurrently with the presidential election, in line with Article 110 of the Constitution. The bill also introduces changes to the method used to calculate the parliamentary term.

The legislation stipulates that the term of Parliament shall be five years, commencing on 1 December, after which Parliament will be dissolved. 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.

The bill also 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 was due to expire in 2029.

Following passage in the People’s Majlis, the bill must be ratified by the President after approval through a public referendum, as required for constitutional amendments. The Elections Commission has recommended that the referendum be held alongside the Local Council Elections and Women’s Development Committee elections scheduled for April 4, citing significantly higher costs if the vote is conducted separately.

The referendum will be held once the President issues a Presidential Decree instructing the Elections Commission to conduct the vote.

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