Parliamentarian Rozaina Adam has expressed concern over the state and political parties having to bear the cost of members who resign from the women’s development committees (WDCs).
Speaking to PSM News, Parliamentarian Rozaina said that the state has to bear the burden of members who resign after having been elected with the help of many others, highlighting that many members resign without valid reasons. She said that the state has to spend time and funds to hold the elections and the political parties work hard to elect their representatives. She added that resigning after a short period is an irresponsible act.
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.
In August, Parliamentarian Rozaina proposed an amendment to the Decentralisation Act to hold by-elections for WDC on the same date each year. 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.