Petition Against Council Land Seizure Bill Secures Enough Signatures for Parliamentary Debate
16 އޯގަސްޓު 2026 | އާދީއްތަ 09:46A petition garnering significant public support has been submitted to Parliament calling for the withdrawal of proposed amendments to the Decentralization Act, amid concerns that the changes would strip local councils of their authority and restrict citizens' right to representation. Having secured signatures from 0.5 percent of the voting population, the relevant parliamentary committee is now mandated to review the petition and bring the matter to the government's attention.
President meets with the Thulhaadhoo Island Council and Women's Development Committee of South Maalhosmadulu Atoll. | Presidents Office
An e-petition submitted to the People’s Majlis calling for the withdrawal of a bill to amend the Decentralization Act has garnered over 2,140 signatures. The controversial bill was sponsored and introduced by the Member of Parliament for the Thulhaadhoo constituency, Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru.
According to the regulations of the People’s Majlis, this submission qualifies as a "Threshold 2" petition. This status is achieved once a petition garners signatures equivalent to 0.5 percent of the Maldivian population. Consequently, this has been designated as a special petition. It marks a historic milestone as the first petition to ever secure the required number of signatures to mandate a formal debate on the Majlis floor, making it the first of its kind that the parliament is constitutionally obligated to deliberate.
According to the Parliament's e-petition regulations, once a petition gathers 2,100 signatures (representing 0.5 percent of the voting population), it must be forwarded to the relevant parliamentary committee for review. The regulations further mandate that the committee must convene its first meeting regarding the petition within a maximum of two working days upon receipt. Additionally, the committee is required to formally bring the matter to the government's attention.
Furthermore, the regulations stipulate that the petition must be forwarded to the Speaker of the Parliament to facilitate a floor debate on the matter.
The Parliament’s Decentralization Committee has decided to complete its review of a proposed amendment to the Decentralization Act within just five days. This comes as a public petition against the bill successfully gathered the required number of signatures. The amendment would grant the government the authority to remove lands and areas currently under the jurisdiction of local councils and reclaim them for state-led development projects.
The bill has sparked widespread public concern, with a signed petition highlighting several critical issues. The petition emphasizes that the ultimate consequence of the proposed amendments would be the disenfranchisement of elected local councilors, effectively transferring their authority to the Cabinet of Ministers.
The petition states that these amendments would allow for punitive measures to be taken against democratically elected councilors on the grounds of opposing or failing to cooperate with decisions made by the Cabinet.
Furthermore, the petition highlights that the proposed amendments would restrict the public's right to have a say in local affairs. It asserts that these changes contradict the Decentralization Act and its core principles, as they diminish the power of the people—the very source of all authority. Consequently, the petition calls for the immediate withdrawal of the bill.
Member of Parliament Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudu), the MDP representative for the North Galolhu constituency, has proposed several amendments to the bill sponsored by MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru. Additionally, the island councils of Baa Atoll Fehendhoo, Goidhoo, and Thulhaadhoo have issued a joint resolution opposing the legislation and calling for the bill to be rejected.
