MDP Chairperson Criticises Urban Development Bill, Warns of Threat to Decentralisation

The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has voiced strong opposition to the government’s Urban Development Bill, claiming it poses a significant threat to the country’s decentralisation system.

MDP Chairperson, Fayyaz Ismail, made the comments during a National Council meeting on last evening. He warned that the proposed legislation would effectively undermine the autonomy of local councils by stripping them of their economic and financial powers, which are crucial to their role in governance.

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In his remarks, Fayyaz called for greater public awareness of the issue, emphasising that it requires urgent attention to prevent the changes from taking effect.

The MDP has long accused non-MDP-led administrations of attempting to weaken local councils and sideline elected representatives from fulfilling their duties.

The Urban Development Bill was submitted to parliament by Kolamaafushi MP Ibrahim Didi on behalf of the government, with public feedback currently being sought on the legislation.

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has previously suggested that reducing the number of parliamentarians and councilors could help lower state expenses. However, no formal amendments addressing these concerns have yet been submitted to parliament.