The People’s National Congress (PNC) has opened nominations for candidates wishing to contest in the upcoming local council elections. Speaking at a press conference today, PNC parliamentary group leader and campaign manager Ibrahim Falah said nominations will open tomorrow and will remain available until 15 January.

He noted that a primary will be held in constituencies where more than one member contests, with voting scheduled for 27 December. A dedicated portal has been created for members interested in competing in the primary, which Falah described as the largest ever organised in the Maldives.

The local council and women’s development committee (WDC) elections are set for 28 March 2021, with national nominations for both elections opening on 17 January. Ahead of the polls, Parliament has passed amendments to the Decentralisation Act to reduce the number of council and WDC seats.

Under current provisions, city councils may have 7, 13, or 19 seats depending on population size. Proposed changes reduce this to 7 seats for populations between 10,000 and 25,000; 11 seats for those between 25,000 and 50,000; and 15 seats for populations above 50,000. Malé City Council will continue to comprise members elected proportionally to parliamentary seat allocation, while Fuvahmulah City Council members will be elected from each of its eight wards, including a mayor and a female councillor per ward.

For island councils, existing rules allocate five members for populations under 3,000 and seven for those above. The amendment reduces this to three members for islands with fewer than 2,000 residents and scales representation for larger populations. It also specifies required numbers of female councillors: one for three-member councils, two for five-member councils, and three for seven-member councils.

The Act currently sets membership at six for islands and varying numbers for cities depending on population. The amendment aligns WDC membership with the size of island or city councils and introduces secret-ballot elections for WDC president and vice-president. The bill further proposes removing all chapters related to atoll councils from the Decentralisation Act.