Parliament extends session by a week to amend Decentralization Act

The Parliament, on Tuesday, has passed to extent its current session by a week, citing important works are pending.

While commencing Tuesday’s parliamentary sitting, Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla said the ongoing parliamentary session is set to conclude on next Friday as of present.

“Nevertheless, as there are important works pending in the current session, I am proposing to extend the session until August 21^st,” he added.

The matter was put to vote during Tuesday’s sitting and passed by the votes of 59 MPs out of 69 MPs in attendance. 10 MPs voted against extending session.

As such, the ongoing parliamentary session will conclude on August 21^st.

According to Parliament’s standing orders, the ongoing parliamentary session which commenced on June 1^st, was set to conclude on August 15^th.

Some ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) lawmakers who spoke to Sun said that the change is being made to push through major amendments to the Decentralization Act.

Several lawmakers told Sun that the PNC parliamentary group sent a message on Monday night, asking them to remain in Male’ next week.

One PNC lawmaker told Sun on Tuesday that the government is working to make amendments to the Decentralization Act. But he declined to share any details at this time.

Some lawmakers confided that there’s high chances the amendments involve downsizing local councils, and requiring for mayors and presidents of councils to be elected through an internal vote among councilors, rather than through a public vote.

But the details of the exact amendments being proposed remain unclear at this point.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has repeatedly said he wishes to downsize local councils. In May, he announced plans to push amendments to the Decentralization Act in order to downsize councils in islands with small populations.

He said he plans to amend the Decentralization Act in order to:

• Elect three-member councils in islands with populations under 2,000 people, and five-member councils in islands with populations above 2,000 people.
• Elect three-member women’s development committees in islands with populations under 2,000 people, and five-member women’s development committees in islands with populations above 2,000 people.
• Have presidents of women’s development committees elected through a direct vote.
• Cap the number of city councilors at the current level.
• Increase women’s quota in councils from 33 percent to 40 percent.

The latest push for more amendments come after the PNC passed controversial amendments to the Decentralized Act last week, designed to curb the powers of local councils, including in matters of recruitment of staff, lease of land and lagoons under the jurisdiction of councils, and run developmental projects.

The amendments were passed with a majority vote of 45-7 on August 6, despite concern from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), as well as multiple councils.

MDP has slammed the amendments as an attempt by the government to concentrate powers and silence the voice of the people, while the PNC insists the changes are necessary better regulate spending and prevent wastage of state funds.

The amendments have yet to be ratified by President Muizzu.