Solih's Opinion: Parliamentary Elections should be held Mid-Term

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih stated today that the current duration between the presidential election and the parliamentary election is also flawed, and the best way would be to hold the parliamentary election in the middle of the presidential term.

While President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has initiated efforts to merge the presidential election and the parliamentary election, former President Solih revealed his view on the matter today at a ceremony held to open the MDP hub in Lh. Kurendhoo. According to Solih, the way things are currently being practiced is not good in his view either.

The former President said that when the parliamentary election is held three months after a person is elected to the office of the President, that parliament remains under the power of the President. Solih stated that this is the scene witnessed in the parliamentary elections so far.

"After President Yameen was elected, the parliamentary election held afterwards took a large majority of the parliament. Then came my term of government; after I was elected in 2018, I took a larger majority of the parliament in 2019 than Yameen did. Then came President Muizzu," Solih said.

"President Muizzu took more than that. He took much more."

Solih said that the people should be able to know what a person who comes to the office of the President can achieve, and one way is to hold the parliamentary election after spending two and a half years, or as a mid-term election.

The other way, according to Solih, is to hold the presidential election and the parliamentary election together and then shorten the term of the parliament to two and a half years.

"After that, after two and a half years, we will go for a vote again. At least, while the President of the Republic carries out that work for five years, a way must be made to hold them accountable at a certain point," he said.

Solih stated that under the current Constitution, a person in the office of the President cannot be held accountable and that some changes must come. However, he said that the change currently proposed by the government for that purpose is not the best change.

Therefore, Solih said that very deep thought must be given to the referendum planned to be taken alongside the local council elections regarding the merging of the presidential election and the parliamentary election. He said that if it were a vote taken in good faith, they would consult with the people, NGOs, political parties, the judiciary, and lawyers.

The bill proposed to amend the Constitution to hold the presidential election and the parliamentary election together was passed by the People's Majlis on the 10th of this month.

Since the change to merge the two elections into the Constitution can only be brought if a majority is received in a public vote of the people, work is being done to hold it alongside the local council elections to be held next April.

However, a decision has not yet been made. President Muizzu has stated that holding the two elections together is the most beneficial way for the people and that MVR 120 million can be saved from the people's money in that way.

"If the people decide in this way, I believe the best way is to bring the amendment to the Constitution and then hold these two elections together in the year 2028," President Muizzu has stated.