MP Nazim Says Debate on Holding Two Elections on Same Day Was Settled Long Ago

The political argument over whether presidential and parliamentary elections should be held on the same day has intensified, but Deputy Speaker and Dhihgaru MP Ahmed Nazim says the matter was already resolved during the drafting of the Constitution.

In a post on X, Nazim published documents from the Special Assembly, insisting that the idea of having the two elections on the same day is not new. He said the Assembly had examined the issue in detail, with three motions submitted, debated and supported before decisions were finalised.

The proposals were tabled by Ibrahim Ismail, then MP for Malé; Ali Waheed, MP for Maalhosmadulu North; and Shaheen Hameed, also representing Maalhosmadulu North. All three called for the presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on the same day.

Nazim, who served in the Special Assembly convened under former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, said the matter had already been settled at the time. “This debate was done and finished. It was decided by the people,” he said, recalling his remarks from the Assembly floor.

The issue has returned as the country prepares for a public vote on 4 April to decide whether the two elections should be held on the same day. The opposition MDP is campaigning against the move, even though several of its senior figures had previously spoken in favour of synchronising elections. Some had even suggested holding three elections on the same day.

Ibrahim Ismail’s motion proposed that presidential and parliamentary elections be held together within six to eight months of the Constitution coming into force. Ali Waheed suggested a six‑month window. Shaheen Hameed also proposed holding both elections simultaneously within six to eight months.

Nazim said the existence of these motions shows the matter was not only discussed but formally settled. He argued that the current dispute is simply a revival of an issue resolved during the constitutional process.

As campaigning intensifies, PNC is running voter‑awareness programmes through media outreach and public meetings. The MDP, meanwhile, accuses the government of trying to force a merger of the elections. The PNC rejects this, saying the opposition is deliberately misleading the public and misrepresenting the facts.

The debate is now alive once again, drawing old arguments back into the national conversation as the country heads toward the April vote.