PNC lawmaker proposes revision of rules to allow counterpetitions

A lawmaker from the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) has proposed amending the Parliament’s standing orders in order to allow admittance of counterpetitions.

Article 257-1 (f) of the Parliament’s standing orders states that a petition must not include a call to implement a measure that is already made in an active petition submitted to the Parliament.

Funadhoo MP Mohamed Mamdhoon Yoonus on Monday proposed repealing this clause – a move that will allow the admission of counterpetitions.

The Parliament’s General Purposes Committee is scheduled to review the amendment later Monday.

The proposed amendment comes a day after supporters of the People’s National Congress (PNC) administration submitted a petition countering one demanding the withdrawal of a contentious new bill that seeks to grant the central government greater powers to seize land under the jurisdiction of local councils.

The bill, which proposes introducing new provisions to the Decentralization Act, was submitted on August 5 by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakr, an independent aligned with the PNC.

On August 8, Midhuam Saud, a social media activist, submitted an e-petition demanding Hannan to withdraw his bill. He warned the amendments weaken the voice of the people by disempowering elected councilors and authorizing the cabinet to take over land and places within any local island. He warned it would also allow for councilors to be penalized over purported rejection of the cabinet’s decisions.

The petition collected over 2,300 endorsements within a week – well beyond the 2,100 threshold required for it to warrant debate at the Parliament. The Petitions Committee decided on Sunday to set the petition in the agenda for a sitting held within three days.

Meanwhile, the counterpetition, submitted by Ahmed Shathir, asks the Parliament to pass Hannan’s bill, describing the previous petition as one submitted to achieve a political objective.

Shathir said the amendments would speed up the provision of public services.

The petition has gathered over 850 signatures.

Meanwhile, the Decentralization Committee, which had previously decided to wrap up its review of the bill by 12:00 pm Sunday, has decided to postpone the deadline to Thursday, likely in light of the petition.

Taking over land and lagoons under the jurisdiction of local councils currently requires a presidential decree.

But Hannan’s bill proposes granting the cabinet the power to take over land and lagoons.

It states that land and lagoons will be removed from the jurisdiction of councils and transferred under the full control of the state once the cabinet makes such decisions, and the LGA informs councils of it.

It also states that councils will be required to hand over land to the LGA upon request of the central government when seeking land to run projects.

The bill is also designed to prohibit councilors from acting, without a justifiable reason, in a manner that hinders planned government projects, or making any decision that could obstruct such projects.

The new bill comes amid complaints from top government officials over lack of cooperation from some councils for planned projects, including refusal to hand over land.

It also follows controversial amendments to the Decentralization Act last year that curtailed the power of councils to recruit new staff and lease land, lagoons and reefs under their jurisdiction close to council elections.