A debate has started on the parliament floor after an amendment to the Constitution has been filed to change the system of the government.

The debate has started to change the current system of government in the Maldives to a Parliamentary System.

The bill to change constitution and the system of government was proposed to the floor by the MP for Kaashidhoo constituency, Abdulla Jabir. The bill includes amendments to the system of government, responsibilities and authority of the President includes in the constitution.

With a total of 72 Articles, the bill states that the President would be elected by the Parliament in a closed vote among the candidates that apply for the position. The bill also states that a similar vote among the MPs would decide the Prime Minister.

According to the proposed bill, the Prime Minister will have four deputies, which will also be selected among the MPs through a closed vote. The bill says that the elected term will be five years and states how to proceed if a position is vacated during the term along with the approval and dismissal of a person in office.

The bill says that the Head of the State is the President but the Head of the State and the Commander of the Armed Forces is the Prime Minister and transfers a lot of the President’s authority to the Prime Minister.

Presenting the amendment, MP Jabir said that despite the 2008 vote that decided on a Presidential System, it has not been implemented enough which has caused suffering to the people and a change to that can be made by changing the system of governing.

MP Jabir also noted that the Parliamentary System is successful across the world where the Prime Minister is the head of state in power with the parliament and the countries who have adopted the system have been developing. Thus, the reason for proposing the change of government.