The Parliament has passed a resolution proposing amendments to the Decentralisation Act aimed at restructuring island councils and has referred it to the Committee on Decentralisation for further review.

The proposal calls for the appointment of one or two full-time councillors per island, while the remaining council members would receive sitting allowances instead of full salaries.

The resolution was submitted by Parliament Member for the Baarah constituency, Ibrahim Shujau, and passed with 52 votes in favour out of 63 members present. Eleven members voted against the resolution.

In his remarks, MP Shujau stated that although the Decentralisation Act has been in force for 15 years, and amended 15 times, it has not brought about significant improvements in local governance or island development. He noted that four council elections have been held during this period, with billions of Maldivian Rufiyaa spent on the system, but without meaningful gains in administrative performance.

MP Shujau also expressed concern over the politicisation of island councils, stating that the current structure often results in political party activists holding senior positions. According to him, this has at times made it difficult for councillors affiliated with opposition parties to work collaboratively with the Government.