Government postpones Island Development Committee Elections indefinitely

The Maldives Government has postponed planned Island Development Committee elections “due to the rapid progress made by MDP candidates in preparation for these elections”, MDP Representative to the UK, EU and US Mr. Ahmed Naseem said this week.

“The Maldives government had tried to quickly re-enact these bodies under parochial rules, pre-empting its responsibility to guide legislation for Island and Atoll Councils instead”, Mr. Ahamed Naseem said. “However the Maldivian Democratic Party moved fast to take up the challenge”, he added.

The IDC elections, which had been scheduled for 01 June 2007, would now be held after a pending national referendum to decide the new system of government. No date has been set for the poll to decide on the system of government, and the Constituent Assembly is still preparing the final details.

“We thought we should give people enough time to get ready and campaign and all these sorts of things”, Atolls Minister Mr. Mohamed Waheedudeen said on 18 May announcing the postponement.

The Maldivian Democratic Party regards this move as another attempt by the government to play for time and stall democratic reform. “The government is afraid to face the public in democratic elections”, MDP Chairperson Mr. Mohamed Nasheed said. “The referendum is unlikely to happen, and so, neither the IDC elections. There are so many other procedures to go by before the referendum,” he said.

The Island Development Committees were required to be elected by the end of May 2007 under current regulations. The failure by the government to hold the elections makes the current Island Development Committees invalid under the regulations. “The present sitting island development committees were elected in 2004 and they have a life span of two years. The president has the power to extend them by one year, but that ended in May, so it is against all regulations for them not to have an election now,” Mr. Mohamed Nasheed said.

The bill on Decentralized Administration of Atolls and Islands was due to be made law by the end of January but is yet to be tabled in the People’s Majlis (parliament). The Attorney General’s website lists the 15th draft for Island Council Regulations and the final draft for Atoll Council Regulations, which are yet to be presented for house debate.