Minister of Legal Affairs at the President’s Office Uz Ahmed Hisham Wajeeh has responded to concerns raised regarding the public referendum question linked to the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which proposes holding presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day.

In a statement shared on social media, Uz Hisham explained that Article 262(b) of the Constitution requires certain constitutional amendments to be approved by the public before they can be ratified, but does not specify the exact wording that must be used when presenting a referendum question.

He said the key requirement is that the question must clearly convey the purpose of the amendment and allow voters to respond with a “yes” or “no” answer. Uz Hisham noted that it would not be practical to include every detail of a constitutional amendment within a single referendum question.

The minister also stated that the validity of a referendum question should be assessed based on legal and constitutional criteria rather than political consensus. According to him, the main consideration is whether the question falls within matters that legally require public approval and whether the process follows the procedures set out in the Constitution.

Uz Hisham further said a referendum question can only be considered invalid if it violates constitutional provisions, contradicts the procedures for constitutional amendments, or is clearly misleading to voters. Otherwise, he noted, there is no legal basis to challenge the legitimacy of the question.

He added that the primary objective of the Eighth Amendment is to facilitate the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously, while also proposing changes to the calculation of the parliamentary term. Under the proposed amendment, the term of the 20th People’s Majlis would end on 1 December 2028 if approved by voters.

A public referendum on the amendment is scheduled to be held alongside the upcoming Local Council and Women’s Development Committee elections on 4 April.