President Closes Door on Further Constitutional Revisions Following Decisive Referendum Result

In a definitive response to the recent national referendum, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that his administration will abandon all plans for further amendments to the Constitution, stating the public had delivered a clear message of disapproval through their votes.

The referendum, held on 4 April, saw an overwhelming 69 percent of voters—amounting to 148,859 citizens—reject a proposed constitutional amendment to synchronise the nation’s presidential and parliamentary elections. 

Only 67,680 voters, or 31 percent, were in favour of the change. Interpreting this result as a broader mandate on constitutional change itself, President Muizzu declared the government’s intention to cease all such future initiatives.

"I think the people have sent a very clear message by the vote, whether they see it or not. That is, that people do not favour amendments to the Constitution," the President said. 

"Therefore, we do not intend to introduce an amendment to the Constitution in the future."

However, the President clarified that the government’s agenda for targeted legal reforms, announced prior to the referendum, would proceed unchanged. 

This includes planned legislative changes to reform the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), putting a cap on the number of members of Parliament, and amendments aimed at reserving a specific percentage of parliamentary seats for women and youth. These reforms, he noted, do not require altering the constitutional text itself.

The announcement comes on the heels of a victory celebration for the ruling People's National Congress (PNC), which secured majority seats in the local council elections. 

In a candid admission, President Muizzu attributed the government's failure in the referendum to a lack of effective campaigning by the PNC team.

The move is widely seen as the administration respecting the direct will of the populace, effectively closing the door on constitutional revision for the foreseeable future while pivoting to focus on its broader legislative agenda.