The Elections Commission has proposed an amendment to the law that would allow it to hold the Parliamentary elections before Ramadan.
Speaking at a hearing of the Parliament's Committee on State-owned Enterprises, President of the Elections Commission Fuwad Thaufeeq said if the dates are scheduled according to the law, the Parliamentary election falls on the 30th of March 2024 and that this would be the 20th of Ramadan.
He said that holding the election in the last 10 days of Ramadan would mean that the candidates have to campaign during the Holy month and that other issues would also arise.
Fuwad said that the Commission employees would find it difficult to carry out Election work during Ramadan and that it would be difficult to find temporary staff during the Holy month as it is difficult to find staff in regular months too.
He noted that if the election was held one month before, then it would go on smoothly.
The President of the Commission said that as per the law, election-related work must begin 120 today before the term of the current parliament expires and as the 19th Parliament took their oaths on the 28th of May, the Commission must begin preparations in January. Fuwad said as per the law, the Parliamentary election must be wrapped up 30 days before the current term for the current Parliament expires.
The Commission noted that it would be difficult to wrap up the whole electoral process of the Parliamentary election within this time frame. It recommended that an election be brought found if the 120 days mentioned in the law is changed to 140. It also said that there was no way to avoid a parliamentary election in Ramadan without bringing changes to the law.
