Member Hannaan is a disgrace to constituents of Thulhaadhoo: Thulhaadhoo and Fehendhoo Councils

The local councils of B. Fehendhoo and B. Thulhaadhoo have characterized Abdul Hannaan Aboobakuru, the Member of Parliament for the Thulhaadhoo constituency, as a source of embarrassment for his constituents.

Abdul Hannaan Aboobakuru, the Member of Parliament for the Thulhaadhoo constituency, has introduced government-sponsored amendments to the Decentralization Act. The proposed amendments seek to revise the Act to allow the government to reclaim lands and areas currently under the jurisdiction of local councils. Under these changes, the government would have the authority to remove such areas from the jurisdiction of a respective island or city council if they are required for national development projects.

Expressing deep concern and calling for the withdrawal of the proposed amendment, the Fehendhoo and Thulhaadhoo councils have unanimously passed a resolution stating that the changes directly contravene the fundamental principles of the Constitution. The councils asserted that the amendment violates Article 4, which vests power in the people, as well as the objectives of decentralized administration outlined in Chapter 8, undermining the democratic progress the Maldives has achieved.

The resolution further states that the most significant advancement for Maldivian islands under the 2008 "Green Constitution" has been the empowerment of citizens to participate in local decision-making. This includes the authority to elect their own local leaders through public vote and the ability to ensure that island development is conducted through a framework of accountability to the people.

The resolution states that one of the most significant milestones achieved since the introduction of the decentralization system is the legal determination of island jurisdictions and the granting of ownership to the islands. It further notes that the framework for utilizing these jurisdictions has been established and approved with the full participation and support of the public.

However, the two councils stated that if the newly proposed amendment is passed into law, it would grant central authorities in Malé the power to seize any part of a local jurisdiction at any time and in any manner they choose. They warned that this would effectively strip local residents of their rightful ownership and control over their own administrative territories.

Furthermore, the resolution states that expressing public dissent or opposing any provision within this bill has now been criminalized. It also notes that central authorities have been granted explicit powers to penalize, suspend, and remove elected representatives from office. The resolution characterizes this amendment as a direct attempt to dismantle the decentralized system and strip citizens and local islands of their autonomy.

Consequently, both island councils have called for the withdrawal of the amendment, noting that it directly contradicts the Constitution and undermines President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s presidential pledge to champion the decentralization system. The councils further expressed that it is a matter of shame that the amendment was proposed by the representative of the Thulhaadhoo constituency. The administrative bodies of both councils stated that MP Hannaan’s sponsorship of efforts—previously directed against press freedom and now aimed directly at stripping the power of local islanders—constitutes a betrayal of the residents of those islands and the entire constituency.