LGA Warns Councils Against Using Public Assets for Political Activities

The Local Government Authority (LGA) has reminded city and island councils that public property and resources must be used solely for their legally mandated functions and must not be allocated on the basis of political affiliation or family background.

In a letter signed by LGA Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Nimal and sent to mayors and island council presidents, the Authority stated that council assets and facilities are state-funded resources entrusted to local bodies strictly to carry out their statutory duties under the Decentralisation Act.

The LGA stressed that public property and resources must be administered fairly and without discrimination based on an individual’s or group’s political alignment or family background. However, it warned that utilising land and facilities designated for council-administered public services to promote political ideologies constitutes a violation of the law.

“As a council administration is a crucial institution where citizens come to seek services, conducting political activities in such locations will create apprehension and distress among the public,” the letter stated.

The LGA Legal Department told MV+ that the directive was issued after the authority received numerous complaints regarding political activities being conducted at locations designated for providing municipal services to the public.

 The Authority added that permitting political events on council premises risks eroding public trust in the decentralised governance system and could violate the Code of Conduct for Council Members.

The LGA’s directive comes immediately following the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) 5th Congress, which took place over the weekend.

Prior to the event, the MDP accused the government of deliberately obstructing its congress by denying access to public venues across the Greater Malé area.

Speaking at a press conference, MDP Deputy Chairperson Ibrahim Waheed and Financial Deputy Chairperson Mohamed Shifaz stated that requests to use Central Park and state school facilities, including Maafannu Madharusa, Hiriya School, and Thaajuddeen School, were rejected by the administration on the grounds that public schools are not leased for political purposes.

The MDP highlighted what it called a double standard, noting that the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) was granted the use of three public schools and the Social Centre complex for its own national congress.

Faced with venue rejections across the capital, the MDP ultimately secured the Malé City Council’s General Services Department ground, where the opposition holds a council majority, setting up tents to host its multi-day national gathering.

While the LGA’s formal letter did not explicitly name the MDP or the Malé City Council in its text, the timing of the directive directly follows the municipal facility’s use for the opposition party’s event.