The Election Commission (EC) has decided to hold a public referendum on the current system of government in the Maldives as instructed by the Parliament.

The EC has decided to hold the polls on the 29th of next month and as soon as the budget is received, the EC will start the necessary efforts to raise awareness among the people.

Providing further details, EC Vice-President Ismail Habib said the commission has received a letter from the speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed, requesting to hold a referendum, along with the resolution passed by the Parliament. However, the EC has sent a letter to the Parliament to clear some points. He added that the referendum could only be held after these points were cleared by the Parliament.

"When you take a general vote like this, you have to know what the subject of the vote is, you have to know what the question is to ask the people. We have not received that question passed by the parliament,” Habib said.

He said that along with the question, more information is needed and when people are made aware of the question, they should know what the arguments are and what the harms and benefits are. When a person goes to vote, they should know why they have to vote, he said.

Habib said the power to conduct a referendum has been given to the Parliament and the President and no rule has been passed in the past 15 years. Therefore, the Election Commission is working on a rule on the vote and will send it to the gazette within two days, he said.

The Parliament on Wednesday approved a referendum on the change of the system of government before October. The motion was moved by The Democrats' presidential candidate Ilyas Labib.