Male’ council divided over bid evaluation committee

Male’ City Council on Wednesday saw heated exchanges over the formation of a committee to evaluate procurement bids, with Mayor Adam Azim attempting to delay the replacement of the committee.

The Proposal Bid Evaluation Committee was originally formed on 18 June 2025, comprising four councillors and the council secretary general. The members had been nominated by the mayor and approved by councillors at the time.

However, under the Finance Rules made pursuant to the Finance Act, individuals holding political and elected positions cannot serve on bid evaluation committees. Instead, councils are required to form advisory committees to provide guidance on evaluations.

Maafannu West Constituency Councillor Ibrahim Abubakar moved to dissolve the existing committee and replace it with one formed under the Finance Rules. Azim, however, proposed changing the name of the committee instead of dissolving it, arguing that the councillors’ committee did not handle the technical evaluation of bids. He said the committee served only to review the work of the procurement department and add a layer of oversight.

Galolhu North Councillor Mohamed Saif Fathih responded that the council resolution establishing the committee stated it would evaluate bids, raising concerns that councillors could be directly involved in the evaluation process. He proposed reconstituting the committee as an advisory body with broad representation.

Villimale Councillor Nahla Ali supported Saif’s proposal and submitted a list of councillors to form the new committee. Her proposal included:

Azim initially resisted a vote on the motion, saying he intended to submit a revised list at the next session after consulting Deputy Mayor Areesh. He added that the list would include members from across political parties, including independents.

Councillors argued that once a motion had been tabled and supported, it was required to be put to a vote. The exchanges grew tense, with councillors raising their voices as Azim insisted he should first consult the deputy mayor.

The meeting concluded with Nahla’s motion being put to the vote, receiving eight votes in favour. A separate list proposed by Deputy Mayor Areesh received six votes.