Public consultation required in formation of city council constituencies
Local council elections are scheduled for 4 April, with candidate nominations opening on 17 February.
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The Elections Commission (EC) on Monday published the Code of Conduct for the Determination of Local Council Constituencies and Seats, introducing a requirement to collect public opinion from residents of each city before finalising constituency boundaries.
Local council elections are scheduled for 4 April, with candidate nominations opening on 17 February.
The government has recently amended the Decentralisation Act to abolish Atoll Councils and reduce the number of councillors. The new code of conduct came into force on Monday alongside rules governing the formation of administrative constituencies for the upcoming elections.
The rules outline how constituencies for councils and Women’s Development Committees are to be determined, along with timelines for preparing and publishing interim and final constituency reports.
Under the new provisions, each island within an administrative constituency—excluding cities—will continue to function as an electoral constituency.
For cities, the rules require the EC to seek the views of residents before defining constituency boundaries. The commission is required to establish a mechanism to facilitate public consultations.
Seven criteria must be considered when determining city constituencies. These include:
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Whether a city was formed by merging islands that previously functioned as separate administrative divisions.
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Allocation of constituencies based on population rather than increasing representation for a single island within a city.
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Ensuring that populations of adjacent neighbourhoods fall within the same constituency where appropriate.
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Avoiding constituency divisions that may disrupt community cohesion.
City constituencies will be determined excluding the mayoral seat. When defining constituencies in cities formed from previously separate administrative islands, the rules require:
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If the city’s population exceeds the number of former townships, at least one constituency must be allocated to each former township.
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If the number is lower, constituencies must be based on the city’s total registered population, excluding the mayor.
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If higher, the number of constituencies must be adjusted using the total registered population minus the average number per constituency.
City constituencies will otherwise follow the boundaries used in the most recent parliamentary elections.
The rules also specify how constituencies and seats for women’s members in council elections are to be determined. These include:
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Male’: One women’s seat from each neighbourhood that exceeds one electoral constituency, and one additional seat from the remaining constituencies.
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Addu City: Ten constituencies; two women’s seats in six constituencies in Hithadhoo, and two seats from the remaining four constituencies.
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GDh. Thinadhoo: Six constituencies divided into two groups, with one women’s seat allocated to each group.
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HDh. Kulhudhuffushi: Constituencies divided into two groups, with one seat allocated to each.
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Fuvahmulah: Eight constituencies divided into three groups, with one seat allocated to each.
After the upcoming election cycle, all city constituencies will be elected on an equal basis in subsequent terms.
Under the rules, the EC must obtain the registered population of each island within three to five months of the election announcement, using a specific reference date to calculate population figures.
