The Parliament on Sunday passed legislature to ban national elections during the month of Ramadan.
The bill to amend the General Elections Act was submitted by the main opposition MDP – which holds a majority in the Parliament - on January 24.
It came after the Elections Commission (EC) scheduled the parliamentary elections for March 17 – which falls within the first week of Ramadan – sparking concern over a likely low voter turnout.
According to the new amendment, if an election date falls within Ramadan, it must be held 10 days after Ramadan ends.
The bill passed with a majority vote of 46-3 on Sunday afternoon.
While the EC has yet to announce a new election date, the earliest the election can be held – once the new amendment takes effect – is April 19.
The term of the current parliamentary assembly is set to expire on May 28.
The upcoming elections will see Maldivians elect parliamentary representatives to 93 electoral districts.