In reality, all councilors in the Maldives have been kept under suspension for a year: Yauqoob

Former Member of Parliament for the Dhaandhoo constituency, Yauqoob Abdulla, has stated that all local councilors in the Maldives have effectively been under suspension for a year.

He made these remarks while speaking on RaajjeTV’s "Fala Surukhee" program.

Yauqoob stated that it has become a common practice for the current administration to strip councils of their authority by amending laws and regulations. Expressing his concern, he noted that councils no longer have the autonomy even to hire personnel for basic tasks, such as cleaning mosques.

"Technically, the council has been suspended under a different name by amending the law. This administration is unfamiliar with the system and lacks an understanding of how it functions. Why would such people even present candidates to the public?" he said.

Yauqoob further asserted that the current administration has achieved nothing beyond mere paperwork. He noted that even as the government approaches its third year, there are no tangible results to show. Yauqoob stated that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and the PNC do not accept the principles of the decentralization system, arguing that this is evident through the government's actions. He also alleged that the administration is stripping powers from and exerting undue pressure on councils where the PNC does not hold a majority.

He noted that with the formation of this administration, the Ministry of Atolls—an institution that existed prior to the introduction of democracy in the Maldives—has been reinstated. Yauqoob stated that the purpose of this move is to curtail the powers of local councils and consolidate authority within the central government.