Absence of PNC councillors forces cancellation of final Malé council meeting
The council has not held an official sitting since March 25.
The final session of the current Malé City Council term was cancelled on Wednesday after several councillors from the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) failed to attend, preventing quorum from being reached.
The council has not held an official sitting since March 25.
Over the past month, seven attempts to convene meetings failed due to the continued absence of majority PNC councillors, resulting in a deadlock that lasted more than 30 days.
Attendance records from the cancelled sittings showed low participation, with some meetings attended by only three councillors. Other sessions recorded seven or nine members, below the required quorum of 10 councillors needed to conduct official business.
The newly elected council is scheduled to be sworn in on Sunday, and Wednesday’s meeting had been planned as the final sitting of the current term.
However, the session was adjourned after only eight councillors attended.
Recognising it as the final sitting of the term, Malé City Mayor Adam Azim of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) allowed attending councillors to deliver closing remarks despite the inability to conduct formal business.
Councillors present thanked council staff and colleagues for their cooperation during the term.
Repeated absences by PNC councillors throughout the term led to the cancellation of multiple sittings, leaving several matters on the council agenda unresolved.
In the local council elections held last month, the PNC lost control of the Malé City Council to the MDP.
None of the eight sitting PNC councillors who contested for re-election retained their seats.
Mayor Azim was the only current council member to secure re-election for the next term.
