President Muizzu Proposes Reserved Parliament Seats for Youth and Women to Boost Representation

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has unveiled a proposal to allocate reserved seats in the Maldivian Parliament for youth and women, aiming to correct longstanding underrepresentation in governance. Speaking at the 'Espresso With the President' event, Muizzu pointed out that despite having opportunities to contest elections, youth and women are frequently excluded from mainstream political processes, resulting in limited parliamentary presence. He highlighted that youth constitute 39 percent of voters and women 49 percent, yet their representation falls short, underscoring a democratic gap that this policy seeks to address. The proposal calls for reserving 10 percent of parliamentary seats for women and another 10 percent for youth. With the Parliament currently holding 93 seats, this would translate to nine seats each for women and for individuals under the age of 30, without increasing the total number of parliamentarians. Muizzu described the initiative as "positive discrimination" to enhance participation, suggesting fair allocation methods such as rotation or lottery systems for constituencies, similar to mechanisms used in local council elections. He clarified that this proposal is independent of the upcoming public referendum and will be pursued regardless of its outcome, with public feedback from women and youth actively being sought. This move represents a significant effort to align the Maldives' political institutions with its demographic realities, fostering a more inclusive and representative democracy.