Sarangu Adam Manik to lead City Council discussions with government

City Council Member and Special Envoy to the President, Adam Manik (Sarangu) has been appointed as the chair of a newly-formed committee to hold discussions between Male’ City Council and the government.

The purpose of the committee is to find solutions through dialogue to the problems between the government and city council.

The committee is made up of councillors representing Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Adam Manik and Samah Rasheed; councillor representing Jumhooree Party (JP) Ahmed Hameed, and councillor representing Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Ibrahim Shujau.

Speaking at a press conference held at City Council following the establishment of the committee, Adam Manik said that all councillors are concerned over the failure to provide public services, and that the committee was formed because all councillors wish to arrive at solutions through dialogue.

He assured that the challenges can be removed and that efforts will be made to implement projects through the process of dialogue.

Issues that the city council and the government have failed to agree on include the budget problem, garbage area issue, workshops conducted in Male’, and land within the jurisdiction of the council.

Adam Manik expressed hope that the issues can be resolved within a period of two weeks or one month.

“There are numerous problems. But all the problems can be solved if we can sit around a table and hold discussions. Current President Dr Mohamed Waheed is also someone I’m familiar with. I know that he wants to find solutions to problems through dialogue. So I am quite confident that we would make headway if our committee holds discussions with the president. If it’s something that’s possible, it won’t take too many days,” he said.

He said that further issues between the government and the city council include cases filed to court against the attorney general and some ministries by the council, and that these cases must be withdrawn.

Disputes between the government and Male’ City Council since the change of government in February 2012 have resulted in the failure by the council to provide several services.