Qasim Ibrahim, has said the Presidential Election and the People’s Majlis Election should be held on the same day, describing the move as a necessary reform for the Maldives’ political system.

In a social media post, the leader of the Jumhooree Party and Member of Parliament for Maamigili stated that the change is long overdue. He noted that under the current system, newly elected governments spend their first six months seeking to secure a parliamentary majority rather than focusing fully on governance.

Qasim pointed out that in the 2019 and 2023 parliamentary elections, voters gave the governing party a strong majority in the People’s Majlis. He said this reflects the political reality that governments prioritise winning the parliament election after assuming office.

He also noted that in past parliament terms, when the parliamentary majority belonged to parties opposed to the President, the majority had sometimes been used to pressure new governments, including attempts to block the first annual budget or initiate votes of no confidence.

Qasim said these challenges highlight the need to hold presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously.

The proposal is part of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution passed by the People’s Majlis, which requires public approval through a referendum before it can be ratified by the President.

He therefore urged the public to vote “Yes” in the referendum to be held alongside the local council elections on 4 April.

Qasim further stated that conducting both elections on the same day could save more than MVR 120 million in public funds, reduce political instability linked to efforts to secure parliamentary majorities, and lower allegations of election-related corruption.

Meanwhile, the Maldivian Democratic Party is campaigning for voters to reject the proposal, while the ruling People’s National Congress is urging the public to support the amendment.