Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has stated only the Parliament of Maldives has the authority to further delay the elections.
Speaking in regard to the bill proposed by Parliamentarian Ali Niyaz to bring amendments to the Decentralisation Act, Nasheed stated the country has seen the consequences of letting the court decide on matters related to elections. Noting all laws and regulations regarding elections are formulated by the parliament, Nasheed stated the authority of delaying elections under special circumstances also lies in the parliament.
Meanwhile, Parliamentarian Ali Niyaz stated the main purpose of submitting the bill is to bring important administrative changes before the upcoming local council elections, including the establishment of land use plan for the councils and regulation of budget handling.
While the bill to bring amendments to the Decentralisation Act has been proposed to the parliament, the jurisdictions of city councils and island councils have been allocated under a presidential decree.