Local Government Authority (LGA) has stated that the oath taking ceremony of council members will go ahead as scheduled on May 17. The ceremony will be held online as a precautionary measure against COVID-19.
The Local Council Election took place on April 10th. While the COVID-19 situation in the Maldives has deteriorated rapidly over the past few weeks, the archipelago is reporting over 1,000 positive cases daily. Some have been questioning whether the oath taking ceremony can be held as scheduled under the current circumstances.
Speaking at a press conference held by the Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) on Monday night, Local Government Authority (LGA)'s Director General Adam Shareef said while a long duration has passed since the term of the current councilors ended, several councilors have resigned from their posts. Therefore, LGA will hold the oath taking ceremony as previously planned on May 17th, said Adam Shareef. While it is difficult to tell when the COVID-19 situation will improve, the public cannot take part in the ceremony this year, he added.
The oath taking ceremony will take place simultaneously across all inhabited islands in the Maldives. The ceremony will be held at the local council offices with precautionary measures in place, and members of the public can view the ceremony online.
In islands where a judge is not available to administer the oath, a judge will join the ceremony online. Any elected officials who are not at their islands on the date of the ceremony will also be joining in online.
