Local Government Authority (LGA) on Thursday again suspended five opposition councilors of the Haa Alif Atoll Ihavandhoo island council.
The councilors representing main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have been suspended for three months without pay after being accused of impeding a housing ministry project in the island.
Council president Mohamed Rasheed said he along with four colleagues have been suspended from June 3 for three months. According to Rasheed, LGA has asked the suspended councilors to respond to over a dozen different accusations, which included participating in protests and writing social media posts defamatory to incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
Rasheed believes that the suspension came after the councilors were accused of impeding housing ministry officials in the island, which he vehemently denied.
The five had been suspended in December last year over incidents related to the Fishermen's Day celebrations which were held in the island. Their suspension had only ended on May 2.
