Council told to retract statement criticizing president's visit

The Local Government Authority (LGA) has ordered the retraction of a statement issued by the N. Kendhikulhudhoo Council criticizing President Mohammed Muizzu's ongoing visits to the atolls.

The council issued a statement on Saturday accusing President Muizzu of misusing state resources and conducting campaign activities in the name of official visits.

The statement said that during his official visit to Kendhikulhudhoo last Thursday, President Muizzu made speeches to seek support for the ruling party in the upcoming parliamentary elections, in a manner seeming like a political event that had been organized by the council.

The statement said:

The LGA has ordered the retraction of the statement, council president Mohammed Rauf told Atoll Times on Sunday.

“About 15 minutes after the statement was issued, the President's Office also called me last night and asked me to retract the statement,” he said.

Rauf said the LGA had sent a letter asking him to retract the statement before Monday.

“The LGA said that councils cannot issue such statements. They also noted that nobody had signed the statement to be held responsible,” he said.

Rauf said he had been involved in bigger issues in the past, issuing such statements from the Noonu Atoll Council and the Kendhikulhudhoo Council. However, the LGA had not asked to retract those statements, he said.

When the LGA asked to revoke the statement of the Kendhikulhudhoo Council, Chairman of the Parliament's Decentralization Committee, Ali Niyaz, said that the parliament would look into the LGA's directive.

"It is very clear in the law that councils are a separate legal entity and can both file lawsuits and be accused in their own name. Once elections are announced, the law should be followed by everyone," he said.