Solih vows to restore council powers and double funding once MDP returns to power

Former Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih expressed confidence the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will win the 2028 presidential election on Thursday, as he vowed the party will repeal recent legal amendments that curtail the powers of local councils and double the funding, once it does.

Solih made the remark on Thursday evening, after accepting a service award from the AA. Bodufolhadhoo Council.

Solih, who lost re-election to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu in 2023, expressed confidence his party will return to power in two years, and resume development of local communities.

Solih said that during his administration, he and other government had worked closely with local councils, and engaged in numerous initiatives to empower local communities.

“But now, they are turning everything upside down. They are curtailing powers. This is not the way to bring development to this country. We have always believed the Maldives must be developed through decentralization. In Sha Allah, we will be restoring these powers to councils during the MDP administration in 2028,” he said.

“And we will also increase the grant aid from the budget.”

Addressing the residents of Bodufolhadhoo, Solih said the project to build clean water and sanitation infrastructure in the island had been 80 percent complete at the end of his administration, but were now stalled.

Solih said the interruption of the projects as well as similar projects across the country were harming the people, and urged President Muizzu’s administration to continue the projects.

His promise to restore powers to councils come after the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) used its supermajority in the Parliament to pass government-drafted amendments to the Decentralization Act curb the powers of local councils, including in matters of recruitment of staff, lease of land and lagoons under the jurisdiction of councils, and running developmental projects.

The amendments were ratified by President Muizzu and took effect in August, despite protests from multiple councils.