President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has ratified the 11th Amendment to the Decentralisation Act (Act No. 07/2010). The bill was passed during the 14th sitting of the first session of parliament on March 18, 2024.
The bill proposes amendments to Sections (b), (c), (d), (e), and (g) of Article 51 of the Decentralisation Act.
According to the Act, where the term of office for an existing council is shorter than one year, city status shall be conferred after the election of the newly constituted council. Conversely, if the existing council's term exceeds one year, the designation of the island or group of islands as a city shall ensue, subject to the procedures delineated in this amendment.
Upon the formal designation of an island as a city, the existing island council shall be reconstituted as the City Council. During this transition, the roles of the President and Vice President of the island council shall be elevated to the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively. The Act specifies that the terms of office for City Council members shall correspond with the original duration of their membership on the Island Council.
Furthermore, the Act stipulates that if a city is established encompassing all the islands within an administrative area, the atoll council for that administrative area shall be dissolved henceforth. Subsequently, the City Council shall assume responsibility for the maintenance of the atoll council's facilities and the provision of its services.
Following the ratification of the Amendment, this Act becomes effective upon its publication in the Government Gazette.
