Fifteen years after the Maldives introduced a decentralisation framework intended to transfer authority from the centre to citizens, the system remains incomplete. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has made its revitalisation a central priority, pledging to “champion” decentralisation during his term.
Over the past two years, his administration has pursued an ambitious programme: engaging directly with local bodies, advancing legal reforms, and strengthening both island councils and Women’s Development Committees.
Soon after taking office, President Muizzu established the Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works, designed to reinforce the link between councils and the central government. He argued that a dedicated ministry was essential, drawing on his own experience of “both sides” of the decentralisation system.
That emphasis on structure was matched by a commitment to direct citizen engagement. In his first two years, President Muizzu travelled widely, met with councils, Women’s Development Committees and residents, and implemented changes in response to their concerns. Local leaders have welcomed the approach. Abdulla Ziyad, President of the Bilehfahi Council and among the longest-serving island council leaders since the system’s inception, said he had never expected a national leader to work so closely with the people. Council presidents across the Maldives have interpreted these efforts as evidence of the administration’s determination to strengthen decentralisation and deliver its intended benefits.
The administration’s structural initiatives have been accompanied by legal and financial reforms. Amendments to the Decentralisation Act aim to reinforce the stability and autonomy of local governance. The reforms define the scope of business activities for Local Authority Companies established under council legislation, while procedures governing state grants have been revised with new rules stipulating how councils must manage financial decisions during the final year of their term.
In a significant move, the government has proposed constitutional and legal amendments to abolish Atoll Councils. Funds previously allocated to these bodies are to be redistributed among island councils, with regulations requiring that the resources be directed towards citizens in need. Practical challenges have also been addressed. Construction has begun on new buildings for 55 councils, responding to longstanding requests for adequate working space and budgetary support, and following the president’s visits to every inhabited island.
Alongside these reforms, the administration has placed particular emphasis on Women’s Development Committees, seeking to elevate their role to parity with local councils. For the first time, WDC members received a Ramadan allowance, which will from next year be funded sustainably through council budgets.
The allocation for WDCs has also been raised to 10 percent, and proposals have been submitted to transition WDC presidents from part-time to full-time roles. It has also been proposed that WDC presidents be elected through the same process as council presidents. These measures are intended to ensure WDCs are adequately resourced and institutionally recognised, strengthening the decentralisation framework as a whole.
The administration has also sought to devolve powers through direct democracy. Legislation enacted this year enabled the use of public referendums. On 25 October, citizens in several islands of Addu City participated in the country’s first such referendum, held to determine collective views on the structure and formation of the Addu City Council. The government has framed the exercise as a demonstration of its commitment to decentralisation and to devolving powers historically concentrated at the centre.
Officials maintain that refining the system will secure the progress sought by citizens, affirming that the government’s ultimate objective is to mature and “champion” the framework.