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Former President Mohamed Nasheed's "Bodu Badhalu" reform platform proposes replacing the Maldives' first-past-the-post electoral system with preferential ranked-choice voting for multi-member parliamentary constituencies. The sweeping proposal also includes capping Parliament at 89 seats, introducing mid-term elections, and guaranteeing a minimum 25 percent representation for women.
News Desk
Former President Mohamed Nasheed speaks at a rally of Maldivian Democratic Party - Photo: Sun Siyam Media File
Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s “Bodu Badhalu” platform has unveiled major parliamentary reform proposals, centering on preferential ranked-choice voting, capped parliament seats, and guaranteed female representation.
The “Bodu Badhalu” (Great Change) political reform proposal spearheaded by former President Mohamed Nasheed advocates for a complete transformation of how lawmakers are elected to the People’s Majlis, replacing the current single-member system with preferential ranked-choice voting.
Under the blueprint, the Maldives would abandon the traditional first-past-the-post electoral model—where candidates can win with simple pluralities as low as 20 percent of the vote. Instead, voters would rank candidates by preference in multi-winner elections, ensuring that elected parliamentarians reflect a true majority of public support while eliminating spoiler candidate effects.
Parliament Size: The proposal caps Parliament permanently at 89 seats, replacing the current uncapped system that currently stands at 93 seats and is projected to expand to 98 seats next term.
Constituencies: Rather than having 93 separate single-member districts, the new model creates 19 atoll constituencies alongside 5 multi-member urban districts for cities or islands with populations over 10,000.
Constituency Population Size: Average constituency sizes will increase from roughly 5,000 constituents under the current framework to approximately 15,000 constituents per multi-member district.
Voting Method: First-past-the-post single-winner ballots will be replaced with preferential ranked-choice voting in multi-winner elections.
Type of Representation: Instead of the current one-to-one representation model per district, most citizens will have multiple members representing their larger constituency.
Women’s Representation: The plan establishes a minimum 25 percent reserved representation floor for female MPs, addressing the current system where women hold only 3 out of 93 seats without any guaranteed minimum floor.
Guaranteed Seats for Women: Introduction of a mandatory 25 percent minimum representation floor for women in Parliament, modeled after the successful 2021 Local Council quota reforms.
Citizen-Initiated Recall Votes: Repealing the existing anti-defection clause and replacing it with a formal citizen-initiated mechanism to recall performing or non-performing MPs mid-term.
Mid-Term Parliamentary Elections: Staggering parliamentary terms so that half of the seats are contested alongside presidential elections, while the remaining half are contested halfway through the presidential term to balance executive power and prevent unchecked political supermajorities.
To ensure broad public and internal alignment, party leadership will ask MDP Congress delegates during the September 19 session to formally endorse a nationwide consultation process. Rather than imposing immediate internal mandates, the leadership plans to conduct extensive outreach across local branches and community stakeholders.
Key aspects of this consultation and manifesto initiative include:
Nationwide Outreach: Engaging party members, island branches, and civic groups across all atolls to gather feedback on proposed governance changes.
Drafting Constitutional Revisions: Using the collected feedback to refine proposed constitutional amendments, including executive restructuring and parliamentary reform models.
Codification into 2028 Manifesto: Developing a clear operational roadmap and establishing the finalized reform package directly into the MDP’s official 2028 Presidential Election Manifesto.
Congress Endorsement: Securing formal delegate approval at the September 19 congress to grant authority for initiating the nationwide consultation campaign.
