No one should be able to scale back decentralisation, president says

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said on Sunday that the decentralisation system must be initiated so that no one can deprive councillors of their powers.

The president made this remark at the opening ceremony of the third Viavathi Raajje conference held in Gan Island of Laamu Atoll. 

President Solih said that the most significant objective of holding Viavathi Raajje conference is to review the speedy and effective implementation of the decentralisation policy to ensure that the people’s developmental aspirations are met, and to identify ways to strengthen and improve governance based on feedback.

The president said that the conference offered a national-level platform for discussing policies and assured that the administration would consider the implementation of the decisions made at this platform. The president emphasised that the Viavthi Raajje conference held earlier this year on Ukulhas Island in Alifu Alifu Atoll had been very productive.

In his speech, the president urged participants to engage in dialogue to address the issues of violent extremism, gang crime, and the prevalence of substance abuse, which he identified as the primary threats to the social harmony. He added that concerted efforts of the government, local councils and the Women’s Development Committees (WDC), civil society and the other two powers of the State were also vital to address the issues.

At the inaugural session, the president launched seven handbooks made by the Local Government Authority (LGA) aimed at overcoming the challenges faced in the implementation of local governance.

The third Viavathi Raajje Conference held in Laamu Atoll focuses on the island councils and WDCs from the southern region of the Maldives. The two-day conference will cover four themes and will provide a platform for local councils to present ideas and voice their concerns to the president and senior government officials.