Shiyan: Postponing council elections will result in wider spread of COVID-19

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) lawmaker Hassan Shiyan, on Tuesday, said that postponing the local council elections scheduled for April 4 would result in a wider spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus, and that he was therefore opposed to postponing the elections.

Six foreign nationals have tested positive for COVID-19 in Maldives, leading to more demands for the elections to be postponed due to the risk mass public gatherings had on the spread of the virus.

Tourism Minister Ali Waheed recently stated that the government planned on engaging in talks with political parties regarding postponing the elections.

Speaking during the parliamentary debate on an amendment to the Local Council Elections Act submitted by Addu Meedhoo MP Rozaina Adam, Shiyan, the parliamentary representative for Thoddoo, said that holding the council elections as scheduled was crucial for the future stability of Maldives.

Shiyan said that representatives of opposition parties on local councils were reluctant to cooperate with the government and refusing to implement government decisions.

He said that it was therefore important to elect new members to local councils and women’s development committees.

“Postponing the elections puts the whole nation at risk, it will be one reason for the further spread of this disease,” said Shiyan.

He said the government planned on running public health awareness programs with newly elected councils and women’s development committees.

He said that one reason why MDP was continuing with its elections campaign was to promote public health.

“This work can only be strengthened by working with the newly elected councils,” said Shiyan.

He said that some local councils wanted ban transport in and out of islands, but that travel restrictions would not stop the spread of the disease.

“We cannot bring the whole nation to a stop. If we bring the whole nation to a stop, it means the whole nation will starve. We cannot run this nation by bringing it to a stop,” said Shiyan.

Many MDP parliamentarians, on Tuesday, expressed similar sentiments and voiced opposition to a postponement of the elections. It comes after they expressed opposition to imposing travel restrictions on people from countries experiencing severe outbreaks of COVID-19 on Monday.