Petition supporting council land bill surpasses 3,800 signatures with govt staff
The rule change was approved by parliament earlier this week, after which the petition supporting the bill was formally launched.
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A petition supporting proposed amendments to the Decentralisation Act has collected more than 3,800 signatures, according to figures published on the parliamentary petition portal.
The petition calls for the passage of legislation that would grant the government authority to acquire land and buildings under the jurisdiction of local councils for government projects.
The proposal follows an earlier petition submitted by Miduam Saud, founder of the NGO Aamunge Jamiyya, which called for the rejection of the bill. That petition has received more than 2,300 signatures.
Under the People's Majlis e-petition system, petitions that secure at least 2,100 signatures must be prioritised for parliamentary consideration and debated in the chamber.
The current petition was submitted after parliament amended its Standing Orders to allow multiple petitions relating to the same issue.
Under the previous rules, a second petition concerning a matter already subject to an active petition could not be submitted.
The rule change was approved by parliament earlier this week, after which the petition supporting the bill was formally launched.
According to the parliamentary petition portal, the petition had received 3,851 signatures as of Tuesday.
Reports have since emerged alleging that some civil servants were instructed by supervisors to sign the petition.
According to the allegations, links to the petition were circulated through workplace communication groups and employees were encouraged to support the initiative.
Some reports also claim that employees were asked to provide proof of participation and encourage family members to sign the petition.
No official statement has been issued regarding the allegations.
The proposed Decentralisation Act amendment was submitted by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakr.
The bill seeks to expand the government's authority over land and property administered by local councils.
The legislation has attracted debate among political parties, councils and members of the public since its introduction earlier this month.
Prior to the submission of the current petition, a separate campaign supporting the bill reportedly gathered 855 signatures. That effort was discontinued after questions were raised regarding the parliamentary rules governing duplicate petitions.
Parliament subsequently amended the Standing Orders to permit multiple petitions on the same matter.
The bill remains under parliamentary review.
The proposed amendments come after local council elections held in April, in which the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) secured control of city councils and councils on several major islands.
