LGA to propose postponing local council election

Local Government Authority (LGA) has decided to propose to the government to postpone the Local Council Election, set for 18 January, to be held along with the Parliamentary Elections, announced for 22 March 2014.

LGA said that combining the two elections will save up to MVR 40 million of state finances, which will make way for the payment of finances spent for the recent presidential election, and furthermore, provide a relief to the financial constraints to the state budget due to hard economic times.

The board also decided to propose amendments to the Decentralization Act to restructure reduce the number of elected seats in local council, a move, according to the board, towards reducing financial burden of the local councils on the state budget.