MDP: Govt withholding council reforms to sway elections

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has accused the government of deliberately withholding proposed amendments to the Decentralization Act in order to influence the upcoming local council elections.

In a statement issued Thursday, the MDP said it met with the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday to clarify information and raise concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the reforms. The party claims the government is planning significant changes to the decentralization system, including altering council compositions, reducing the number of councilors, and abolishing atoll councils, but has yet to submit the amendments to Parliament.

The MDP expressed concern that the reforms have not been shared with political parties or opened for public comment, leaving candidates and parties uncertain about the rules under which the elections will be held. This uncertainty, the party said, could disrupt candidate selection and force parties to redo primaries if changes are introduced after the fact.

According to the MDP, the EC confirmed that it had not been consulted on the proposed bill and was unaware of the specific changes being planned. “This shows that the government plans to use its full power in Parliament to directly influence this election by making last-minute changes to the basic features and rules of the decentralization system,” the party stated.

The MDP has called on the government to immediately inform the EC and political parties of any changes to electoral rules.

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu previously announced on August 19 that he intends to abolish Atoll Councils and reduce the size of councils on small islands. Under the proposed changes, islands with fewer than 2,000 residents would have three councilors, while those with more than 2,000 would have five. City councils would retain their current structure. The President also said he would propose amendments to formally establish women’s development committees.