President of opposing Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Abdulla Shahid has criticized the government’s proposal to reduce the number of local councilors.
At a rally held at ruling PNC’s headquarters in Male’, President Dr.Muizzu had said it was expensive to elect five councilors to run a sparsely populated island while electing only one person to run the entire country. He said the decentralization system is currently too large for the state, and suggested small islands elect an island chief or a President and Vice-President. Slightly larger islands and cities can elect a sufficient number of councilors based on their population, he proposed.
“Reducing the size of councils significantly is the most beneficial way for the people,” he said.
In response to the president’s suggestion, Shahid argued in a tweet that undermining the decentralization system during a time of economic crisis was not the solution. He stressed the importance of decentralization in empowering local communities, stating that centralizing power in the capital just because the government is facing financial difficulties due to its own mismanagement would be detrimental.
“In the infancy of decentralization, we cannot agree to deprive the people of their power and concentrate the power of island administration to the air conditioned rooms in Male’ City,” Shahid said.
MDP President Abdulla Shahid
