President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has ratified a bill passed by the Parliament to hold parliamentary elections after Ramadan.

The President ratified the bill on the advice of the Attorney General.

Speaking to the people of Kendhikulhudhoo today, President Dr. Muizzu said that the Election Commission had sought his unofficial advice on the date of the election and advised the commission to hold the elections before the fast if the constitution and the law were not violated. He said he didn't agree.

"I wanted the parliament elections to be held before Ramadan. However, the present Parliament did not want to amend the law so that the next parliamentary elections can be held so fast. Don't they need to explain why they didn't want to amend the law? The opposition needs to justify their reasoning to delay the elections.

"I don't want elections to be held during Ramadan. It is a month of worship. As such, I have now officially declared the last ten days of Ramadan as public holidays, as pledged during my election campaign," President Dr. Muizzu said.

He said that the Supreme Court has now decided that the total strength of the House is 87 and hence the legality of the bill to postpone the assembly elections passed yesterday with 80 members in mind and other cases that were already decided before that is questionable.

"I will do everything in accordance with the law and the Constitution while going ahead with the Supreme Court's decision today. If it is recommended that yesterday's decision should also be ratified against the Supreme Court's decision that 80 members are not the number of people's parliament, but 87 originally, I will ratify that as well," he said.

The President further said that the date of the parliamentary elections is not clear at present and therefore, he has sought the Attorney General's advice today and if he suggests the gazette the bill, he will do the same.

The bill was passed by parliament yesterday after 47 of the 62 members present in the house voted in favour of the bill, while 14 members voted not to pass the bill, which is the second time the house has passed the bill.