The People’s Majlis has held the first reading of the bill seeking to allow the current councilors to retain positions until the Local Council elections are held and new officials take oath, at Monday’s online parliamentary sitting.

The motion was read out by Parliament Speaker and Former President Mohamed Nasheed.

The first bill was sponsored by Bilehdhoo MP Ahmed Haleem and aims to modify the Fifth Amendment to the Maldives Constitution.

The Director General of Public Health, Maimoona Aboobakuru declared a State of Public Health Emergency across the Maldives under Section 33 of the Public Health Act as a precautionary measure against the wide-spreading Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19).

This bill describes the protocol to be followed until new officials can take office and notes that the current council terms are set to expire on June 3rd and will result in vacant seats. The bill highlights Article 230 of the constitution that mandates "all administrative divisions of the Maldives administration be decentralized" and Article 231 which states that "all members of councils created for decentralized administration shall be democratically elected by secret ballot by their respective communities".

It allows the current council officials to retain positions until an election is held and new officials take office. According to the bill, incumbent officials have full authority, as granted by the constitution, to make decisions and will be held accountable for said decisions during this period.

The "special bill to ensure decentralized administrative divisions" was sponsored by MP for west-Henveiru contituency Hassan Latheef the second time round, after it was withdrawn from the parliament agenda the first time round.

The bill will come into effect once ratified and published in the government gazette and will be annulled once new officials take office.

Earlier in May, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the special bill to delay the Local Council Elections and the Women’s Development Committee Elections, indefinitely.

On April 13, ECM delayed both elections indefinitely at a time fears of the pandemic.

EC announced the decision to delay the elections on March 12, the same day the State of Public Health Emergency was declared. Elections were initially scheduled for April 4, however, it was delayed until April 18 amid Covid-19 fears.