President ratifies constitutional amendment abolishing atoll councils
This means the present Atoll Councils will be the last to operate under the Constitution.
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President Mohamed Muizzu on Monday ratified an amendment to the Constitution that abolishes Atoll Councils from the next local council elections.
Two weeks earlier, the government submitted a proposal to remove the entire chapter of the Constitution relating to Atoll Councils. A corresponding amendment to the Decentralisation Act, aimed at ending Atoll Councils after the current term, was also proposed. Parliament passed the bill last week.
The amendment was submitted by PNC Parliamentary Group Deputy Leader and Baarah MP Ibrahim Shujau on behalf of the government. The President’s Office confirmed ratification on Monday.
Under Article 231(a)(3) of the Constitution, the Atoll Council is listed among the councils established to administer administrative areas, with the Atoll Council President ranking above the presidents of the Island Councils within the atoll.
Shujau’s amendment removes this clause from the Constitution, resulting in the formal abolition of Atoll Councils.
However, the amendment states that all currently elected Atoll Councils will serve until the end of their term. This means the present Atoll Councils will be the last to operate under the Constitution.
The original draft also proposed that MPs expelled from their political party would face a vote in their constituencies before losing their parliamentary seat. Parliament removed this clause before approving the bill.
