Petition calls to withdraw amendment allowing government takeover of land under council jurisdiction

An online petition has been launched seeking signatures against a proposed amendment to the Decentralization Act that would allow the government to take over land under the jurisdiction of local councils.

Social media activist Midhuam Saud announced the petition in a post on X. The petition protests the amendment submitted by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Abubakr and calls for the withdrawal of the Decentralization of Administrative Areas Amendment Bill.

According to the petition, the amendment would strip directly elected councillors of their powers and transfer those powers to the Cabinet. It also states that the bill would enable action against councillors who do not cooperate with Cabinet decisions.

The petition describes the amendment as contrary to the spirit of the Decentralization Act and as a restriction on the power of the people.

We have started a Majlis e-petition calling for the withdrawal of the proposed amendments to the Decentralisation Act, which would give the Cabinet in Male’ the legal power to take over land and places within any local island.

Please do your civic duty: sign the petition and… https://t.co/mR2hZ3BLJz pic.twitter.com/cqyAJbdQeU

— Midhuam Saud(米渡）???????? (@Midhuamsaud) August 9, 2026

The main purpose of the amendment, according to its proponents, is to ensure council cooperation within a clear legal framework to accelerate government development projects. The bill also aims to strengthen procedures related to acquiring land required for state projects.

However, concern has been raised because the amendment allows the Cabinet to exclude land from a council’s jurisdiction and take it over for government use even before the physical development plan of an island or city is approved.

The Decentralization of Administrative Areas Act was amended last year to restrict several powers of councils, including staff recruitment and the leasing of land, forests and forest areas under their jurisdiction, except under regulations set by the Finance Ministry and the Local Government Authority (LGA). At the same time, government officials have repeatedly said some councils are refusing to allocate land needed to implement development projects.