Parliament votes to abolish atoll councils in constitutional amendment

Parliament on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment to abolish Atoll Councils from the next round of local council elections.

The amendment was proposed last week by the government and submitted to Parliament by Baarah MP Ibrahim Shujau, Deputy Leader of the PNC Parliamentary Group. The full committee endorsed the bill on Monday before it was put to a final vote.

The amendment passed with 75 votes in favour and 12 votes against.

Article 231(a)(3) of the Constitution currently lists Atoll Councils as part of the local administrative structure, headed by an Atoll Council President and followed by island council presidents. The amendment removes this clause, thereby eliminating the Atoll Council tier.

Under the approved change, existing Atoll Councils will continue until the end of their current term. This means the present councils will be the last to operate under the Constitution.

Last week, the government also proposed amendments to the Decentralisation Act to remove the entire chapter related to Atoll Councils and reduce the number of island councillors.

The opposition MDP has raised concerns, arguing that the government is attempting to restore a system similar to the former island chief model used during the administration of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. PNC members, however, maintain that the changes are intended to streamline administration and deliver services more directly to the public.