The Adhaalath Party (AP) has announced its support for holding the presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day, endorsing the proposal following internal deliberations within the party.

In a statement shared on social media, the party said the move was supported in the best interests of the country and its people. The party said it believes the proposal would contribute to greater political stability and improved governance.

The proposal stems from the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which was passed by the People’s Majlis to facilitate the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously. The amendment also proposes changes to the method of calculating the parliamentary term in order to align the two election cycles.

Several political parties have expressed support for the amendment, including the People’s National Congress (PNC), Jumhooree Party (JP) and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA). Supporters of the proposal say conducting the two elections together would help reduce Government expenditure on elections and strengthen political stability in the country.

A public referendum on the constitutional amendment is scheduled to take place alongside the Local Council and Women’s Development Committee elections on 4 April, allowing voters to decide whether the proposed changes should be ratified.