Muizzu Ratifies Amendments to Decentralisation and Local Council Elections Acts

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has ratified key amendments to the Decentralisation Act and the Local Council Elections Act, paving the way for biannual by-elections to fill vacant local council posts. 

The amendments were approved by Parliament on Wednesday, 7 August 2024, during its 25th sitting of the second session of the year. The ratified amendments introduce significant changes to the existing laws governing local councils. 

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Among the notable modifications is an addition to Section 9(b) of the Local Council Elections Act, which now mandates that by-elections for vacant council seats are to be announced within a timeframe established by the Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM). 

A new section, Section 26-1(a), specifies that such by-elections must be conducted biannually. Furthermore, the interval between these by-elections must be no longer than 183 days and no shorter than 120 days.

Following the ratification, the amendments came into effect immediately upon their publication in the Government Gazette.

The twelfth amendment to the Decentralization Act (Act No. 07/2010) also introduces new procedures for addressing vacancies in Atoll Council President, Island Council Member, and City Council Member positions. 

The Local Government Authority (LGA) is required to notify the ECM of any such vacancies within 14 days. The ECM must then schedule a by-election within 183 days of the notification, unless the remaining term of the Council is 365 days or less, in which case a by-election is not mandatory.

The amendment further stipulates that vacancies in the positions of vice president or deputy mayor must be filled within 30 days according to the Decentralization Act’s procedures. Additionally, if council member vacancies result in a lack of quorum for meetings, the LGA is obliged to inform the ECM, which must then organise by-elections within 60 days.

With these ratified changes, the Acts are now in force, as confirmed by their publication in the Government Gazette.