Parliamentarian Rozaina Adam has proposed an amendment to the Decentralisation Act to hold by-elections for women’s development committees (WDC) on the same date each year.
Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has expressed concern over having to hold back-to-back by-elections for WDCs and held discussions with the Local Government Authority (LGA) and proposed to hold the by-elections every 60 days, as WDC members file their resignations.
The proposed amendment to the Decentralisation Act states that WDC elections are to be held by the representative atoll council with instructions from the ECM. It also states that the by-elections are to be held on the same date each year if there are no issues related to the lack of quorum at WDC meetings.
The amendment further proposes to expand the authority of WDCs by requiring local councils to implement their decisions and establishing an environment in which WDCs and local councils can work together. The proposed amendment is expected to solve the longstanding challenges faced by WDCs.