Local market stalls and carts in the capital Male’ City are only being given to supporters of ruling party PPM, says the city’s Deputy Mayor Shamau Shareef.

Speaking on RaajjeTV’s Fala Suruhee programme on Tuesday night, Shareef said the government had taken away the powers of the Male’ City Council, to abuse it.

Shareef said that the government has taken the local market stalls and carts in the southern part of the city from its owners and given it to ruling party loyalists, and that the whole operation is being looked after by First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim.

He also said that the government has been withholding profits from leasing function hall Dharubaaruge and the Hulhumale’ City Park, just to annoy the council.

Regarding the newly developed Male’ City roads, Shareef complained that the there was no plan in the development project, and that the main road Majeedhee Magu is still facing the same issues after its recent renovation.

He said that President Abdulla Yameen is hostile to decentralization, and that former heads of the Local Government Authority (LGA) can attest to this.

He added that the residents of Male’ will “say no” to President Yameen in the presidential election.