Parliament, on Monday, has accepted the constitutional amendment seeking to combine the two main elections in the Maldives, the presidential and the parliamentary elections.
The government-backed amendment was submitted by ruling PNC’s Parliamentary Group Leader, Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah.
Falah, in his bill, proposed to combine the presidential and parliamentary elections, and for this purpose, change the inauguration of the new parliamentary assembly to December 1st.
The next presidential election will take place in 2028.
If the proposed amendments are passed, it would mean the 21st parliamentary assembly will be inaugurated on December 1st in 2028, after a combined presidential and parliamentary election. This would effectively conclude the ongoing 20th parliamentary assembly, which is shortened in contrast to a normal five-year parliamentary term in order to accommodate the change. 
The amendment was accepted by the Parliament in a 46-5 majority vote in the extraordinary sitting out of session held on Monday.
The amendment has been forwarded to the Judiciary Committee for further review.