Three Former Presidents Unite Against Concurrent Elections Referendum

In a moment without precedent in Maldivian political history, all three living former presidents publicly campaigned against the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which proposed holding parliamentary and presidential elections concurrently. Mohamed Nasheed, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and Abdulla Yameen — whose political careers have been defined by mutual opposition — each issued separate statements urging voters to reject the referendum.

Nasheed, speaking from his residence in London via a livestreamed address, argued that concurrent elections would eliminate the mid-term accountability check that parliamentary elections provide. 'The Majlis election is the people's chance to course-correct a presidency gone wrong,' he said. 'Removing that safeguard is an invitation to unchecked power.'

Solih and Yameen, despite their bitter personal rivalry, echoed remarkably similar concerns. Solih warned that the amendment would entrench incumbent advantage by allowing sitting presidents to leverage state resources across both campaigns simultaneously. Yameen, addressing a PNF rally in Addu City, framed the issue in terms of constitutional integrity, arguing that the amendment process itself had been rushed through the Majlis without adequate public consultation.

The convergence of the three former presidents proved decisive in shaping public opinion. Polls conducted in the week before the vote showed the 'No' campaign surging from a narrow lead to a commanding 20-point advantage, a shift that analysts attributed directly to the cross-party opposition front. The final result — 68.7% voting against the amendment — validated the unprecedented alliance and dealt a significant blow to President Muizzu's political authority.