At PNC march, President argues joint elections strengthen accountability

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said Friday that holding the presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day would reduce the likelihood of any party winning a supermajority in parliament and help eliminate corruption.

The President made the remarks while speaking at a march organised by the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) to conclude its campaign for Saturday’s local council elections.

Alongside the council vote, a national referendum will be held on whether to merge the two main elections. The government is advocating for a “yes” vote, following an amendment passed by the government‑controlled Parliament to allow the change.

Addressing supporters after the march, President Muizzu urged voters to prioritise the national interest in both Saturday’s elections.

ރައްޔިތުންގެ ބޮޑު ހިނގާލުން!!#VoteDhoonyah#Aanekey#VotePNC #DhiveheengeRaajje #LCE2026#CongressPartyMV pic.twitter.com/JiWcM20Cyz

— PNC Secretariat (@pnc_secretariat) April 3, 2026

“I urge all the people of Maldives to join us in these decisions tomorrow and determine what we can do for the country, moving forward with a national mindset,” he said.

The President said his administration is delivering results rather than making empty promises. As an example, he highlighted the repayment of the USD 525 million Sukuk debt, which he said was settled without taking on new loans. He added that the government is facing Saturday’s vote with the confidence of that achievement.

He told supporters that every vote cast for the PNC would be something they could be proud of.

President Muizzu repeatedly framed the referendum as a matter of nationalism, saying there would be no harm in holding the two elections together. He argued that when elections are held separately, some parliamentary candidates campaign as “government candidates” after the presidential election. If both elections are held on the same day, he said, voters would not know which government will be elected, preventing such campaigning.

“In the past three terms, the people have given the government a supermajority twice. What happens when that happens? Nothing good comes out of it for the people,” he said.

He added that electing MPs before knowing which government will take office would strengthen the separation of powers and improve accountability.

The President also noted that previous elections have shown only a small gap between the votes of the ruling party and the opposition. If both elections are held on the same day, he said, parliamentary seats would likely be split by similarly narrow margins, reducing the chances of a supermajority.

“So we should come out tomorrow, lead the country, and decide to hold the two elections on the same day. Then a check‑and‑balance system comes into place, the most‑voted members get elected, and corruption disappears through this system,” President Muizzu said.

Saturday’s elections will determine councillors in 226 constituencies. Earlier, PNC parliamentary group leader Ibrahim Falah predicted the party would win around 800 to 900 seats.