President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said that the city councils should not centralise their powers and relinquish power to the islands.

Speaking to the people of Meedhoo, Addu City, today during the presidential election campaign, President Solih said that the current government is adopting a policy of empowering the councils by giving up the powers vested in the main government.

"We have to leave some central powers to other islands even in the city councils. We need to be more decentralised, especially in providing services to the two islands that are separate in Addu City," he said.

He said that since Meedhoo and Hulhudhoo are separate islands, administrative, health and education should be started from these islands and powers should be given up to the islands to ensure that these services are easily accessible to the people.

Noting that the government attaches great importance to empowering and decentralising the councils, he said that while some of the powers vested in the main government have been left to the councils under the law, the positive change of decentralisation is visible in the rural areas.