Local Councils Launch Employment Drive Ahead of Elections

Local councils across the Maldives are actively recruiting staff in the lead-up to the upcoming Local Council and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections, with numerous positions recently announced in the government gazette.

The local council elections are scheduled to be held on 4 April. The major political parties of the Maldives have finished their primaries over the last two months, with candidates now finalized from the main opposing parties, the ruling party People’s National Congress (PNC), and the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

While the elections are less than three months away, there has been an increase in the number of employment opportunities announced by local councils across the nation. Fiyoaree Council is among those councils, announcing plans to hire 18 Council Assistants on a contractual basis for 23 months. Despite government restrictions on council recruitment during the final year of a council’s term, the posts were published in accordance with Civil Service procedures.

The positions offer a basic monthly salary of MVR 7,700, with an additional allowance of MVR 2,310 and an attendance allowance of MVR 60 per day. Responsibilities include maintaining public spaces, caring for plants, emptying waste bins, and supporting council programmes and events.

Applicants are required to be literate, having completed at least Grade 5, with certificates from recognised authorities accepted as proof. Interested candidates must submit applications and supporting documents to the Fiyoaree Council office or via email by 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. Interviews are scheduled to take place between 5 and 12 of next month.

The recruitment comes amid government rules prohibiting councils from hiring without special approval during the final year of their term, as stipulated under the 2025 amendments to the Decentralisation Act. Councils must obtain approval from the Local Government Authority (LGA) and Ministry of Finance to recruit staff, lease land, or implement projects not included in approved development plans. Some media reports have cited LGA as saying that some local councils hire new employees without the approval of the authority.