Over 6,000 signatures gathered for petition backing Decentralization Act amendments amid allegations of employee coercion!
20 އޯގަސްޓު 2026 | ބުރާސްފަތި 11:04Amidst public opposition and a formal petition against proposed amendments to the Decentralization Act, the government is reportedly seeking support for the changes by amending parliamentary regulations and collecting signatures. Allegations have surfaced that civil servants are being pressured into signing the government-backed petition, while a separate online public petition against the legislative changes has already garnered more than 6,000 signatures.
Cabinet ministers stood in formation to welcome President Muizzu as he arrived for a cabinet meeting. | President's Office
More than 6,000 individuals have signed a petition calling for the passage of a proposed amendment to the Decentralization Act, as currently submitted by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru.
Reports indicate that government employees and their families are being coerced into signing a petition. Staff are reportedly being instructed to sign via links sent to official office WhatsApp and Viber groups. Furthermore, sources claim that employees are being required to submit screenshots of the portal's confirmation page as proof that their online signatures have been successfully recorded.
The petition continues to garner significant support, with 6,037 signatures recorded as of 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
The government is currently gathering signatures for this petition in response to a separate petition submitted by Midhuam Saud, founder of a public NGO. Saud’s petition, which calls for the rejection of the amendment, has already garnered more than 2,300 signatures.
According to the e-petition regulations, the Parliament must grant top priority to any petition that secures at least 2,100 signatures. The regulations further mandate that the issues raised in such petitions must be formally debated on the floor of the House.
The petition, calling for the passage of the amendment to the Decentralization Act sponsored by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru, was submitted following a parliamentary rule change on Tuesday. The amendment to the parliamentary regulations was necessary to allow the government’s petition to proceed, as existing rules previously prohibited the submission of two separate petitions on the same issue.
