Local Government Authority (LGA) has ordered local councils to pick their deputy mayors and vice presidents before June 20.
The newly elected members of the city, atoll, and island councils were sworn in on May 17. Since then, the council meetings have been held online due to COVID-19 restrictions, making it difficult for members to be present to cast the secret ballot to pick deputy mayors and vice presidents of the councils.
LGA has sent a letter to the councils, signed by CEO Fathimath Afshan Latheef, stating that members were allowed to cast the ballots to pick the deputy mayors and vice presidents in their first meeting after being sworn in. LGA stated that, while some council members have found it difficult to make the necessary travel arrangements due to the restrictions imposed by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), enough time has been given for them to travel to the meetings and cast the ballots. Therefore, LGA has ordered the councils to cast the ballots and pick the deputy mayors and vice presidents before June 20.
Male' City Council is the only city council that has not yet chosen a deputy mayor. Former Housing Minister Dr. Mohamed Muizzu was elected as the Mayor of Male' City on April 10, making him the first candidate of opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) to win the mayoral seat of the Male' City Council.
Further, PPM has also won the majority of seats of the Male' City Council for the first time since the establishment of the city council in 2011. The opposition coalition consisting of PPM and the People's National Congress (PNC) hold 12 out of 19 seats in the Male' City Council. The councillors vying for the post of deputy mayor include Vice President of PNC Ibrahim Shujau, Nahula Ali, Abdulla Nasir and Ahmed Nareesh.