The Elections Commission (EC) has said that preparations for a referendum on the system of government will take at least 30 days.
The Democrats have moved a resolution for the referendum. The party led by former President and Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed supports a parliamentary system.
The party also proposed to the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to hold the vote on September 25 before the second round of the presidential election on September 30.
But EC Vice President Ismail Habeeb on Tuesday tweeted that at least 30 to 45 days are needed taking into account the awareness campaign and the General Elections Act.
The commission estimates that an additional MVR 40 million will be spent on the referendum.
"The most important thing is to make voters aware of the purpose of such a vote. It is the legal responsibility of the Elections Commission to make voters aware of the advantages and disadvantages of voting in favor of a particular system," Habeeb said.
A referendum on the system of government was held in 2007 with the majority of the people backing the presidential system.
