Councils to receive more empowerment: President Waheed

The government has planned more work in cooperation with the Local Government Authority (LGA) to ensure further empowerment of councils, President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has said.

Speaking to the people of Meedhoo in Raa Atoll last night, Waheed said that the main aim of decentralisation is to empower islands, and facilitate authority to councils to carry out their work.

According to Waheed, the authority for councils was withheld when several island council elections were won by parties other than the ruling party.

Instead of empowering councils, national offices were established, resulting in little progress being made in the process of the decentralisation of governance.

Waheed admitted that since he assumed the post of president he had not been able to assist with decentralisation issues to acceptable levels.

He did note however, that he had abolished national offices and empowered Atoll councils with the responsibilities of national offices.

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