Govt proposes bill to limit council by-elections with 1.5-year terms

The government has proposed an amendment to the Decentralisation Act to remove the requirement to hold by-elections for vacant seats in local councils and Women’s Development Committees (WDCs) when less than one year and six months remain in their terms.

The amendment was submitted to Parliament by Ali Moosa, Member of Parliament from the People’s National Congress (PNC), on behalf of the government.

According to the statement attached to the bill, the proposed change aims to reduce the frequency and associated costs of by-elections, which have increased due to a rise in vacant positions.

Under the current Decentralisation Act, a by-election is not mandatory if a council or WDC member has 365 days or less remaining in their term. The proposed amendment seeks to extend this threshold to 548 days.

The proposed change also addresses quorum requirements under the Decentralisation Act. If the number of remaining members is insufficient to meet quorum, a by-election would still be required within two months, regardless of the remaining term length.

The current local council term ends on 17 May next year, with 370 days remaining as of now. If the amendment is passed, the vacancy left by the resignation of Ahmed Nareesh, Council Member for Maafannu Central Constituency on 12 March, would not require a by-election.