Maldives opposition rejects plan to downsize councils
The President said that reducing the size of councils is not taking away the powers in the hands of the people.
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By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
The opposition main party Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) President Abdullah Shahid has rejected the government's decision to amend the law to reduce the number of councillors in the atolls.
President Mohammed Muizzu said the size of councils is too large and the government will propose changes to the laws to reduce the number of councillors.
The MDP President Shahid responded to the President's remarks in a post on X on Sunday evening.
In his post on X, Shahid said the government is trying to reduce the number of island councillors to deprive the people of their power. The President is talking about reducing the number of councils without knowing the situation in the islands, he said.
“In the infancy of decentralisation, we cannot agree to deprive the people of their power and concentrate the power of rural administration in the ivory tower of the city,” Shahid, who was Foreign Minister in the MDP government for the past five years, said.
"It is not right to destroy the decentralisation system when the country is heading towards bankruptcy".
The President said that reducing the size of councils is not taking away the powers in the hands of the people. He noted:
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Electing a president and vice-president for councils will suffice for small islands
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The size could be increased a bit for the larger islands and cities in terms of population
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The current way of electing the Atoll Councils is not meaningful and the way the Atoll Councils are formed will also be changed
The number of councillors was reduced in the government of former President Abdullah Yameen, but again the MDP government amended the Decentralization Act and increased the number in 2020. The amendment also increased the salaries of councillors. Thus:
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No matter how small the population, there were at least five councillors
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In large populations, there were seven councillors
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33% of each council was reserved for women; that is, two women in a five-member council and three women in a seven-member council
Abdul Raheem's response to Shahid
The Speaker of Parliament and PNC Chairman Abdul Raheem Abdullah said in a post on X on Sunday that the government of President Muizzu will bring the real sweetness of decentralisation to the people.
“The people came out and ended your regime because they know who bankrupted the country sitting in the ivory tower without knowing how to run the country,” he said.
"President Dr Muizzu's government is a people's government that runs on the feelings of the people”.
