Parliament Approves Amendments to Decentralisation Act on Council By-Elections

The Parliament has approved government-proposed amendments to the Decentralisation Act, making it mandatory to hold by-elections for local councils and Women’s Development Committees (WDCs) if more than one-and-a-half years remains in the term of a departing member.

The bill, presented by Hoarafushi MP Ali Moosa of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), passed with a majority of 55 votes in favour and 11 against during today’s sitting.

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The legislation amends Articles 15, 29, 45, and 56 of the Decentralisation Act. It was reviewed by the Decentralisation Committee in a meeting that began at 12:30am on Thursday and was passed without further changes.

Under the current law, by-elections are not required if a council or WDC member has 365 days or less remaining in their term. The amended threshold extends this period to 548 days, effectively requiring by-elections unless less than 18 months remain.

Ali Moosa stated that the amendments aim to reduce the financial burden of repeated by-elections, which have been prompted by frequent resignations from local councils and WDCs.

However, the bill drew criticism from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) during preliminary debate earlier this week. MDP parliamentarians argued that the government should focus on minimising political appointments rather than altering rules governing local councils, if the objective is to reduce costs.

In response, Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah, who leads the PNC parliamentary group, maintained that councils can operate effectively with three members, and questioned the necessity of holding by-elections whenever a vacancy arises in a five-member council.

The current term of local councils is due to conclude in May 2026. For this year, MVR 2.15 billion has been allocated as block grants for council operations.