President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated that a preferential voting system will only be introduced in the Maldives through a transparent process with direct public consultation.

Speaking at a press briefing held at the President’s Office on Monday, President Dr Muizzu said the idea of amending the Constitution to remove the presidential run-off and elect a president in a single round was first raised on 11 November 2024.

He said he supports introducing a preferential voting system if the second round is removed, but stressed that any such change must be subject to public consultation.

President Dr Muizzu said the issue is closely linked to the proposal to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day, adding that technical and legal studies are ongoing.

He said he did not want any change to the electoral system to create doubt or public dissatisfaction in the future. If a president is to be elected in a single round instead of under the current two-round system, he said, the process must be fully transparent and beyond question.

“I want this to be done in a very transparent and clear manner. If the second round is removed and a president is to be elected in one round, the process must be one that leaves no room for doubt. This must be implemented properly in the Maldives,” President Dr Muizzu said..

President Dr Muizzu also expressed confidence that the public would support holding presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day, saying the proposal was not being advanced as a political issue.

He said concurrent elections would create an opportunity to elect an independent Parliament made up of members from multiple parties, adding that such a Parliament is essential for holding the Government accountable. He said these were among the reasons he supports holding both elections on the same day.

Under a preferential voting system, voters cast their ballots only once. Rather than selecting a single candidate, they rank candidates in order of preference.