Transparency Maldives has objected to hastily holding a public referendum on the system of government for political gain, calling for a nationwide voter education and awareness program before conducting the poll.
Last week, parliament passed a resolution and asked the Elections Commission (EC) to hold a public referendum on changing the system of government before October 30. The commission has since been discussing plans for the vote.
In a statement released on Tuesday objecting to expediting the process, Transparency said a referendum decision should be made after proper planning and adequate vote information, calling the election “a resource-intensive exercise that should not be guided by short-term political expediency, but by a well-informed electorate.”
As political parties, civil society organisations and the media are currently preparing for the presidential election’s second round on September 30, Transparency said there was not enough time to implement voter information and awareness programs.
Voters do not have enough time to properly deliberate options for the system of government before making a decision, it added.
“Any referendum on changing the system of governance must ensure that the electorate have a comprehensive understanding of what the proposed systems are, the resulting impacts on governance mechanisms, as well as the modifications necessitated to the legal framework by a system change,” the NGO said.
Transparency called on parliament and the EC to:
- Implement a comprehensive and nation-wide voter education and awareness programme that clearly define the proposed systems of government
- Allow adequate time and resources for robust public debate on the merits and ramifications of any change in the system of government be given before a referendum is taken
- Organize meaningful, participatory, and inclusive public engagements in the process, especially with youth and first-time voters, prior to and following the referendum.
After a review by a full-house committee, the referendum resolution proposed by Democrats presidential candidate MP Ilyas Labeeb was passed with 35 votes in favour. There were no dissenting votes.
The resolution was passed with the votes of 35 MPs from the 87-member parliament. After discussions with political party leaders, work on the resolution proceeded with the consent of all parties represented in parliament.
The resolution on holding a referendum on changing the system of government was passed in parliament after The Democrats - whose candidate finished third in the first round of the presidential election - proposed the yes or no vote as a condition for supporting the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the second round.
