Elections Commission (EC) President Mohamed Shakeel has stated that there are no physical obstacles to implementing electronic voting in the Maldives, but public awareness and trust must be established before such a system can be adopted.

In an interview with PSM, Shakeel emphasized that the public is not yet prepared for e-voting and that educating citizens about how the system functions should be the initial step.

“From a technical standpoint, we face no barriers to doing this. However, it can only be implemented after a long-term, sustained effort to educate the public, and only when citizens show they are ready for the transition,” he explained.

Shakeel was appointed EC President late last month following the resignation of former President Mohamed Zahid.

His comments come amid ongoing debate over the government’s proposed Maldives 2.0 Digital Transformation Bill.

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs have claimed that the bill could be used to introduce electronic voting ahead of the 2028 presidential election. They allege that the move aims to bypass legal requirements and could facilitate electoral fraud.

Government MPs have dismissed these allegations.

Shakeel pointed out that discussions about e-voting have taken place over many years and noted that concerns about vote manipulation are commonly raised whenever the issue is discussed.

He stressed that public education and awareness are crucial before any transition to an electronic voting system.

“We cannot introduce such a system until the true workings of it are clearly communicated to citizens, and until the public has been thoroughly informed and educated about it,” he said.

Shakeel also mentioned that while legislative amendments could enable the introduction of e-voting, the matter is of public interest and should only move forward once the public fully understands the system.