MDP calls for immediate end to interference in independence and powers granted to city councils

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called on the government to immediately cease its interference in the legal decisions of the Kulhudhuffushi City Council, accusing the Local Government Authority (LGA) of unlawfully stripping the council of its powers in violation of the Decentralization Act.

In a statement, the MDP asserted that state institutions are exerting undue influence and compelling city councils to overturn decisions made within their legal personality and autonomous jurisdiction, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Maldives and the Decentralization Act. The party stated that it condemns these actions in the strongest possible terms.

In its statement, the MDP asserted that the government’s directive to the Local Government Authority (LGA) to arbitrarily overturn a decision passed during an official council meeting constitutes a direct undermining of the rule of law.

Furthermore, the party stated that council decisions are made by elected representatives for the benefit of their constituents. Attempting to forcibly overturn these decisions through government-issued directives serves as clear evidence of the administration's disregard for the will of the people of Kulhudhuffushi City and the collective sentiments and demands of the entire Haa Dhaalu Atoll.

The MDP has called on the government and the Local Government Authority (LGA) to respect the legal decision made by the Kulhudhuffushi City Council and to immediately withdraw the unlawful directive issued to overturn that decision. The party further urged the LGA to exercise its statutory powers strictly within the framework of the Constitution and the law, demanding an immediate end to the interference in the independence and authorities granted to city councils under the Decentralization Act.

The MDP stated that the decentralized system envisioned by the Constitution can only be fully realized through powerful atoll councils that integrate all islands within an atoll and ensure public participation. The party noted that the Maldives' administrative structure has historically been organized into atolls, each serving as a distinct administrative, economic, social, and cultural unit. Consequently, the statement expressed the party's support for the initiative taken by the Kulhudhuffushi City Council to defend the role of atoll councils.

The MDP has assured the Maldivian people that a future MDP administration will reinstate atoll councils and restore the decentralized system. The party pledged to reverse all legislative amendments introduced by Dr. Muizzu’s government that obstruct the full implementation of decentralization, returning the laws to their original state.