Attorney General Uz Ahmed Usham has clarified the Government’s decision to prioritise constitutional amendments to hold presidential and parliamentary elections concurrently.

The clarification follows questions raised by former Supreme Court Justice Uz Husnu Al Suood regarding why this particular amendment is being fast-tracked ahead of other constitutional reforms.

In a post on X, the Attorney General said the Government is currently preparing three key amendments to submit to the People’s Majlis. These include holding parliamentary and presidential elections at the same time, restructuring the composition of the Judicial Service Commission, and addressing the continued increase in the number of seats in parliament.

Uz Usham explained that the Constitution requires a public referendum before any amendment to the electoral cycle can be ratified, while the other proposed changes do not require a referendum.

He stated that advancing this amendment first would allow the referendum to be held alongside the upcoming Local Council and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections.

The Attorney General said conducting a separate nationwide referendum would cost the State at least MVR 80 million. Holding the vote together with the upcoming elections would allow the Government to save millions in public funds while reducing pressure on the State budget.

He added that consultations on the remaining constitutional amendments are in their final stages and that the proposals will be submitted to the People’s Majlis without delay.