Committee passes to reduce number of councilors to three in islands under 3000 people

National Security Committee has passed to amend the Law of Local Governance to reduce the number of Councilors in islands under a population of 3000 to three councilors and in the islands above 3000 people to have five Councilors.

A member of the committee told Sun Media that the decision was passed in a committee meeting tonight.

The member that spoke to Sun Media said that if the amendment is passed through the Parliament, atoll constituencies with more than two island constituencies would elect one councilor from each island constituency.

At the committee meeting tonight, the MDP MP on the committee raised concerns about the authority with the President of the Local Government Authority (LGA) to suspend councilors.

MP for the North Macchangolhi constituency, Maria Ahmed Didid said that is not acceptable for a Minister in Malé to have the authority to suspend a councilor in the atolls. MP Maria also said that she does not support to reduce the salary of the councilors.

But the PPM MPs talked in favor of the bill.

The PPM members said that the change was to develop the Councils. And that it would cut down the state spending.

The committee has previous brought a change to reduce the number of councilors in islands under a population on 1500. But 54 MPs voted against the amended at the Parliament on 22 November and the bill was sent back to the committee.

A date to send the bill to Parliament was not announced at the committee meeting tonight.