The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has passed a resolution during its National Council meeting last night to extend the current term of the council until the party’s next congress is held.
The resolution, which was passed unanimously by the 33 members in attendance, mandates that the National Council elections be held within 30 days of the party congress. Furthermore, it stipulates that the elections must be concluded no later than January 31, regardless of any unforeseen circumstances.
The motion was proposed by former MDP Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail and seconded by former Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer. An alternative proposal was submitted by the former Member of Parliament for the Manadhoo constituency, Mohamed Thoriq, who suggested holding the elections on the 25th of this month without extending the current term.
However, Thoriq’s proposal failed to gain traction as it did not receive a second from any member of the National Council.
According to the MDP’s charter, the party congress is its highest decision-making body. The charter also mandates that a congress must be convened at least once every five years.
