A special sitting during recess was scheduled for Monday with government-sponsored constitutional amendments on the agenda, a month before the official reopening of parliament. As previously announced by President Muizzu, the bill proposes holding the next presidential and parliamentary elections concurrently in 2028 and shortening the five-year term of the 20th People's Majlis by six months. If the changes are passed and approved in a public referendum, the new parliament will convene on December 1, 2028. Other bills on the agenda include changes to the penal code to criminalise gambling with a one-year prison sentence and amending the pensions law to allow early withdrawals for persons with terminal illnesses.
Former President Nasheed backed the proposal to merge the elections but former MDP chairman Fayyaz Ismail – who is allied with Nasheed in the opposition party's two factions – rejected the government's justification of reducing costs by conducting the polls simultaneously. He proposed staggered elections with half of MPs elected at the same time as the presidential election and the rest during a mid-term election, which would strengthen checks and balances, and offer voters "an opportunity to make a decision based on the government's performance." He echoed criticism from MDP MPs about calling an extraordinary sitting on short notice while most lawmakers were out of the country. Concurrent elections would be "a step backwards" that narrows the ability of voters to hold the government accountable, MDP MP Meekail Naseem warned.
Ilmuveringe Gulhun, an organisation of local religious scholars, urged the education minister to revert to the pre-2008 single-sex school policy, citing a video that circulated on social media showing children of both sexes in the same classroom. Former President Nasheed's government had introduced mixed-sex schools "based on a secular ideology" as part of "changes that were alien to Islamic principles and Maldivian traditions," the group alleged. Girls and boys attending the same school has adverse effects on behavioural standards, they contended. In a letter to the education minister, the scholars cited a Harvard study and reports from the BBC and China's Global Times as well as Prophet Mohamed's (pbuh) Hadiths.
The religious conservative Adhaalath Party welcomed recent changes made to the civil service dress code, which prohibited women from dyeing their hair and tucking in shirts, describing the rules as "good measures towards the religious and social security of the community" despite falling short of the Islamic standard of concealing a woman's entire body except for the face and hands with modest and loose clothing.
SME Digital introduced shariah-compliant, collateral-free financing up to MVR 1 million (US$ 64,850) with total financing up to MVR 5 million. The Business Expansion Financing facility aims to "help existing businesses scale operations, strengthen capacity, and explore new revenue opportunities." The facility offers repayment structures up to 10 years, including a one-year grace period.
Bassam Adeel Jaleel, former chairman of the Football Association of Maldives, was found guilty on two additional counts of fraud and money laundering over the embezzlement of US$ 1.2 million provided by FIFA to support local clubs during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was accused of using the funds to buy two penthouse apartments from Amin Avenue. Bassam is serving a nine-year prison sentence on other charges stemming from the embezzlement of FIFA funds. The court is due to schedule a sentencing hearing after the most recent conviction.
Forcing students to wear coats, vests and ties is oppressive in the Maldives' tropical climate, Dr Hassan Hameed, former chancellor of the Maldives National University, wrote in a blogpost about the new uniform rules.
A dead body was found floating near Raa Kinolhas. The nationality of the deceased was yet to be established and an investigation was underway, police said.
The foreign ministry declared "continued support for the internationally recognised legitimate government of Yemen," and backed Saudi Arabia's initiative to host talks in Riyadh.
The Health Protection Agency advised Maldivians returning from the Umra pilgrimage to exercise caution over the spread of respiratory illnesses.
