Kendhoo constituency MP Ali Hussein has said that the minimum age limit of Presidential candidates should be lowered to 18 years to give more opportunity for the youth.
Ali Hussein said that it will be of great benefit for the youth if the minimum age is lowered to 18. He said that the current minimum age is 35 and lowering the age will not deprive any person of their right.
“When the age is lowered no ones rights will be deprived but rather it will only expand it. This will benefit the youth. When the age is not lowered then what benefit will be there for the youth? No rational person will make this claim,” he said.
He said that if the youth are to be granted that which will benefit them then they should provided with good education and good job opportunities.
Ali Hussein reiterated that there is no country whether democratic or dictatorship which has set a maximum age limit for Presidential candidates.
Ali Hussein said that many countries have set a minimum age requirement, which is between 18 to 35 years, but no country has set a maximum age limit.
He said that the claim that the maximum age limit is being set following world democratic countries is false as there is no country in the world which has set such a limit. He said that therefore this amendment submitted at the Peoples’ Majlis is against democratic values an human rights and also a violation of the constitution of Maldives.
“Youth are those between 18 and 35 or 18 and 40. Therefore it is not correct to set this limit on the claims of giving more opportunities for the youth. If you want to give the youth the opportunity then set the minimum limit to 18 so that they can run for Presidency,” he said.
Ali Hussein said that if such a change is to be brought then it should be brought by not only just the agreement of three out of four members of the Majlis but by a vote taken among the public.