LGA obstructs no-confidence vote against Mayor Shifa

Local Government Authority (LGA), on Friday, obstructed the no-confidence motion against Male' City Council's Mayor Shifa Mohamed, while voting was scheduled on the agenda for 1500hrs.

According to a letter addressed to the council by LGA's CEO Afshan Latheef, it was decided, in an emergency meeting held by the commission, that a no-confidence vote cannot be taken against Shifa while LGA is currently conducting an inquiry into her.

LGA's inquiry was launched into allegations that the mayor lodged against Maafannu-South Councillor Mohamed Fazeen and Henveiru-South Councillor Ibrahim Manik, after her censure motion was proposed.

Regarding LGA's order, Fazeen told local media Mihaaru that notifying the decision just 30 minutes before the vote, was a deliberate act to negate lawful authority. The councillor further asserted that this issue will be submitted to the High Court.

A total of eight councillors approved the censure motion, while only two councillors were opposed to taking a no-confidence vote against the incumbent mayor.

Citing that, as the capital city’s mayor, Shifa assumed responsibility for all of the council’s undertakings, the councillors landed on allowing her an adequate time period to refute the claims, in accordance with the bylaws.

The censure motion against Mayor Shifa and Deputy Mayor Shamau Shareef was raised by Maafannu-South Councillor Mohamed Fazeen. 

According to Fazeen, the mayoral heads were not acting in the spirit of decentralisation, the key local governance strategy touted by the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party.

After the matter failed to be brought to floor during the initial attempt to raise his concerns, the councillor filed the complaint with the Local Governance Authority (LGA).

Then, referring to the LGA rulebook, Fazeen highlighted 39 allegations of misconduct and moved for a vote of no confidence. Drawing the Decentralisation Act into his argument, Fazeen insisted that both Shifa and Shamau acted outside the law, as suited the mayor.

Specifically, she faces claims of unauthorised spending as well as dodging committee decisions, and suggestions that her deficient efforts had fostered public disdain for the current administration.