MALE, Maldives: The Maldives voted to reject a government plan to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day to save costs, official results of a referendum showed on Sunday.
An overwhelming 68.77 per cent voted against the proposal at Saturday´s plebicite, in which two thirds of the 294,000-strong electorate participated, according to the Elections Commission of the Maldives.
A local council election held alongside the referendum also saw a humiliating defeat for President Mohamed Muizzu´s People´s National Congress.
The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party swept key councils in the capital Male and in the archipelago´s second-largest constituency, Addu, according to the commission.
“I respectfully accept the results of Saturday´s elections,” Muizzu said on X, while congratulating the winners of the local polls.
The referendum was proposed by Muizzu as a cost-cutting measure as the country emerged from a financial crisis. He argued that holding both national elections together would save about $8 million.
The proposal was to shorten the current legislature´s term by about five months and align it with the presidential election, which is due in September 2028.
