The Elections Commission (EC) has started discussions on a parliamentary resolution for holding a public referendum on the system of government before October 30.
EC Secretary General Hassan Zakariyya said parliament has officially informed the commission about the resolution.
The EC is in the process of seeking legal advice on the matter, he said.
The resolution adopted by parliament on Wednesday calls for a referendum on choosing between the presidential system and parliamentary system before October 30.
The resolution proposed by Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb - presidential candidate of The Democrats - was passed with 35 votes in favour from the 87-member parliament. No MP voted against the resolution.
Work on the resolution began after discussions with the leaders of political parties represented in parliament. All parties agreed to move ahead with the referendum.
The timeframe proposed for the vote when Ilyas initially submitted the resolution was before November 30. The period was changed to before October 30 after the committee accepted an amendment proposed by Ilyas.
The Democrats have been advocating for changing to a parliamentary system. The main reason offered by the party is the need to form coalitions when presidential candidates are unable to win a majority of votes although coalitions are a feature of parliamentary systems.
The resolution was passed after The Democrats - whose candidate finished third in the first round of the presidential election - proposed holding a referendum as a condition for supporting the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the second round.
