The Government has formally submitted legislation to dissolve Atoll Councils and restructure the country’s decentralised governance system ahead of next year’s local council elections.

The amendments, tabled to the Constitution, the Local Council Election Act, and the Decentralisation of Administrative Areas Act, seek to remove all references to Atoll Councils from law, effectively dissolving the councils and eliminating the requirement to elect Atoll Council members.

Under the proposed changes, island councils would report directly to the Local Government Authority (LGA), replacing the current two-tier structure. The composition of councils would also be reduced: each council would have three elected members, except in constituencies with more than 2,000 residents, where five members would be elected.

Women’s Development Committees (WDCs) would be restructured to reflect the size of their respective island or city councils. Their chairpersons would be elected directly by residents.

The Government first announced plans to abolish Atoll Councils on 19 August last year. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has repeatedly argued that the posts are redundant and should be eliminated to streamline local administration.

Minister of Cities, Local Government and Public Works Adam Shareef Umar made similar remarks in a September interview with State Media, describing Atoll Councils as an unnecessary administrative layer that burdens the decentralisation system.

Alongside removing Atoll Councils, the Government is also seeking to downsize island councils by linking representation to population thresholds.