Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the opposition coalition’s candidate, has said that he will give back the power of the councils according to decentralization laws on his first day in office.

Speaking to journalists after a meeting at the Male’ City Council on Wednesday, Solih said that the purpose of the principle of decentralization is to better serve the people and vowed that the government of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and other opposition parties will allow decentralization.

“When I visited the city council today all I saw was the name plate. I knew that the administration had more than 11,000 employees, but now it doesn’t even have 50.”

Solih said that “President Yameen’s oppressive government” has placed many obstructions and that his meeting with the council has made it clear what needs to be done to strengthen decentralization.

“Hopefully, on the first day of our administration, [the council] will receive the necessary powers and budget according to decentralization principles.”

He said that they will be using the information obtained from these meetings to develop the opposition coalition’s manifesto and publish it in the next two to three days.

Solih also warned citizens to be aware that President Yameen’s government is trying to commit re-registration fraud for the upcoming elections and added that the opposition’s work is for the sake of the nation.

Solih’s running mate Faisal Naseem had also joined the meeting with the Male’ City Council and so did some lawmakers representing constituencies of the capital city.