Committee OK's referendum bill with changes allowing EC to expedite referendums

Parliament’s Independent Institution Committee, on Tuesday, has greenlighted the referendum bill, which defines the circumstances under which public referendums can be held, as well as to specify the responsibilities of the relevant authorities, including the Elections Commission (EC).

The Committee approved the bill with the unanimous votes of all lawmakers in attendance after making several changes. These changes include:

• Granting EC the discretion to hold a referendum earlier than the minimum 45-day period following either the parliamentary resolution or the presidential decree to hold a referendum
• Adding a provision stating that a referendum shall be passed only if at least 50 percent of the valid votes cast are in favor
• Adding a provision requiring Finance Ministry to allocate the necessary funds for conducting a referendum within 10 days of receiving a request from EC

The government has decided to abolish atoll councils, reduce the size of island councils, and combine the presidential and parliamentary elections. As implementing these changes would require shortening the parliamentary term, a public referendum is necessary.

The referendum bill was submitted by Parliament’s majority leader, Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah.