The Supreme Court of the Maldives has concluded hearings on a petition concerning the planned referendum to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day.

The case was submitted by lawyers Ahmed Aik Easa and Ibrahim Shiyam from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) legal team. They argued that the referendum question does not properly reflect constitutional requirements and goes beyond the scope of Article 262.

During the hearing, Shiyam said the proposed question could mislead voters by combining multiple constitutional changes, including merging elections and altering parliamentary terms. He maintained that any amendment affecting key constitutional provisions should be clearly presented for public approval.

The court, presided over by Chief Justice Abdul Ghani Mohamed, stated that hearings have now ended and a ruling will be issued after further review.