Subscription Form

Ruling party PNC's supporters gathering held previously in Male' -

MALÉ: A pro-government counter-petition calling for the passage of proposed amendments to the Decentralization Act has gathered over 200 signatures, entering the parliamentary spotlight right after an opposing petition successfully surpassed the threshold required to force a debate on the parliament floor.

The counter-petition was submitted by Ahmed Shatheer of S. Meedhoo. Reports indicate that government political appointees and members of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) are being instructed to sign the document to show support for the bill.

A Contest of Public Petitions

The new petition was launched directly in response to a public petition submitted by social media activist Midhuam Saud. Saud’s petition gathered more than 2,100 signatures—reaching the historic “Threshold 2” required for an official parliamentary floor debate:

Commoner’s NGO Founder Midhuam Saud’s Petition: Argues that the bill violates the spirit of decentralization by taking power from local communities and calling for its immediate withdrawal. It has secured over 2,100 signatures to mandate a full floor debate.

Government backed petition: Calls for the swift passage of the bill to prevent council obstruction of development projects. Having crossed the 850-signature mark, it now officially meets the threshold for formal parliamentary processing.

The Petitions Committee has voted to bring Saud’s petition to the Speaker of Parliament to agenda a floor debate during one of the next three sittings, while also requesting written feedback from the Local Government Authority (LGA).

Details of the Proposed Legislation

The bill was introduced by independent MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru, who aligns with the ruling PNC.

Under the proposed changes currently being reviewed by the Decentralization Committee:

• Land Seizure Authority: The Cabinet of Ministers would gain power to remove land or property from a local council’s jurisdiction for government projects, making it direct state property.
• Exemption from Local Plans: Land can be taken for state projects even before an island or city’s physical development plan is officially approved.
• Mandatory Cooperation: A new code of conduct would mandate local councilors to cooperate fully with central government decisions, barring them from obstructing state projects.

The Decentralization Committee recently extended its review deadline to allow further deliberation alongside incoming petition submissions.