President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated the biggest development project of the administration is the true decentralisation of governance in the Maldives.
Speaking at the event held to officially kick off Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s campaign for the local council elections, President Solih said one of the most important pledges made by MDP was to establish a decentralised system of governance in the Maldives, and distribute powers and authorities to allow major decisions to be made closer to the people. The President said achieving true decentralisation is the biggest development project undertaken by the administration, as it shapes the future of the country. Noting the Maldives is geographically shaped for decentralisation, the President said true progress and development cannot be achieved without the distribution of powers and authorities.
Speaking further, President Solih said since the inception of MDP, the party has continued to advocate against the central accumulation of powers. Highlighting the important amendments brought by the MDP-led Parliament to the Decentralisation Act, the President said the upcoming local council election presents the opportunity to implement these changes and carry out a true transfer of power to the public. He said these changes can only be implemented by councilors that believe in decentralisation.
Furthermore, the President also highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of decentralising services, especially in the healthcare sector. He also highlighted the importance of decentralising human resources, education and skills development across all sectors in order to achieve true national progress.
The local council elections are scheduled to be held on April 10. The women’s development committee elections will also be carried out on the same day, running parallel to the council elections.