President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has ratified the Eighth Amendment to the Local Council Elections Act (Act No. 10/2010), bringing into force a new set of legislative changes governing how local council elections are conducted across the Maldives.

The amendment was approved by the People’s Majlis on 27 November 2025, during the 26th sitting of its third session.

The newly ratified amendment introduces several key updates aimed at improving the administration, clarity and consistency of elections for City Councils, Atoll Councils and Island Councils. It establishes more detailed procedures to guide the electoral process and strengthens provisions designed to ensure fairness and continuity in local governance.

A notable change in the amendment is the requirement that by-elections to fill vacancies on local councils, mandated under the Decentralisation Act, must now be held twice each year, creating a more predictable and uniform schedule for filling council seats that become vacant due to resignation, dismissal, or other circumstances.

With the President’s ratification, the Eighth Amendment has now taken effect following its publication in the Government Gazette, formalising the updated legal framework for future Local Council and Women’s Development Committee elections across the country.