A new amendment to the Decentralisation Act has been proposed to allow the removal of councillors and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) members who leave the political party under which they were elected.

The amendment was submitted as part of a broader government bill aimed at reducing the number of members in local councils and WDCs. The bill was presented to the People’s Majlis by Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah and is now being reviewed by a parliamentary committee.

Funadhoo MP Mohamed Mamdhooh proposed the specific amendment to Article 116 of the Act, with support from Velidhoo MP Mohamed Abbas. Article 116 currently outlines six conditions under which a council member may be removed from office, including resignation, repeated absence without valid reason, or losing legal eligibility.

Mamdhooh’s proposal seeks to add three new conditions related to political party affiliation. Under the amendment, a councillor could be removed if they:

  • Leave the political party under which they were elected.
  • Register with another political party during their term.
  • Join a political party after being elected as an independent candidate.

The committee reviewing the bill approved the proposed amendment on Wednesday. The changes, if passed by the full Parliament, would introduce new rules governing the political accountability of local council members.