Muizzu Proposes Reducing Island Councillors

President Dr. Muizzu has proposed modifications to the decentralisation system, suggesting that three island councillors per 3,000 people would be sufficient. 

Muizzu made these remarks at a ceremony held at Dharubaaruge, which marked the launch of a special portal for generating ID cards through island councils and the second phase of the ‘Kurangi Operation’, aimed at collecting information about expatriates living in the islands of the Maldives.

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Dr. Muizzu highlighted that the current system of determining the number of councillors is burdensome. He noted that electing five councillors for a small island, regardless of population, is costly and suggested that reducing the number of councillors could be more beneficial.

In 2021, the number of councillors elected per island was increased to five. President Dr. Muizzu proposed that five councillors could be elected in islands with populations between 3,000 and 10,000, but emphasised that the final decision would be based on public feedback and research conducted by the national university.

Dr. Muizzu also mentioned that reducing the number of councillors could lead to improved services if a significant portion of the budget allocated to the councils is spent on enhancing the salaries of civil servants working in the council offices.