President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has unveiled a sweeping legislative agenda set to reshape governance, including measures that would give citizens the power to recall elected council members and members of parliament. Speaking at the President's Office, he detailed a series of planned reforms expected to be introduced later this year.
A recall mechanism is central to the proposal, allowing voters to remove officials from office if a no-confidence vote is upheld. President Muizzu framed the measure as an essential step toward strengthening democratic accountability, asserting that elected representatives should remain answerable to the electorate.
As part of his administration's legislative push, the president reported that 43 bills have been submitted to Parliament so far, with 31 successfully enacted. He confirmed that an additional 30 bills will follow, including amendments to the Tobacco Control Act and the Maldives Drugs Act.
Beyond election oversight, President Muizzu has proposed broader electoral reforms aimed at streamlining the voting process. Among them is a plan to hold presidential and parliamentary elections concurrently and adopt a preferential voting system for presidential races, eliminating the need for a runoff. The amendments would also fix the presidential term's start date at 11 November and establish the number of parliamentary seats at 93.
Revisions to local governance structures are also part of the proposed framework. Atoll Councils would be abolished, with Council Presidents chosen by direct vote. The new system would adjust council composition based on population size: areas with fewer than 2,000 residents would have three councillors, while larger constituencies would be represented by five. City Council membership would remain unchanged.
Changes to Women's Development Committees (WDC) follow a similar model, linking committee size to local demographics. Localities with fewer than 2,000 residents would elect three members, whereas larger areas would appoint five. The WDC President would also be selected via direct vote. Meanwhile, women's representation in councils would expand, increasing the percentage of reserved seats from 33 percent to 40 percent.
Financial governance is another focal point of the legislative overhaul. One proposal would impose new regulations on state expenditures related to political appointments, requiring parliamentary oversight to determine their number. Transparency provisions mandating disclosure of political appointee details to Parliament are included as well.
Fiscal reforms targeting council budgets would grant the Minister of Finance and Planning authority over block grants, restricting allocations to legally mandated council responsibilities. Additionally, councils would receive a designated percentage of Tourism Goods and Services Tax (TGST) revenues, beginning 1 November.