The number of people who signed a petition submitted via the Parliament's e-Petition portal opposing an amendment proposed to the Decentralization Act to allow land under council jurisdiction to be taken back by the state has risen above 2,100.

With this, the petition has become a special petition that mandates debate on the floor of the Parliament. This is the first petition to receive this number of signatures.

Being a special petition, it must be brought to the government's attention, and the issue of this petition must be placed on the agenda and debated in one of the upcoming three sittings.

This petition was submitted calling for the withdrawal of the amendment being brought to the law, proposed by independent member for Thulhaadhoo constituency Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru, allowing land and lagoons within council jurisdiction to be taken for development projects by a decision of the Cabinet.

According to the Parliament's e-Petition rules, when a petition reaches 2,100 signatures (0.5 percent of the voting population), sending that petition to the relevant committee of the Parliament for review becomes mandatory.

Therefore, the petition submitted by Midhuam Saud states that this amendment strips away the authority of councilors directly elected by the vote of the citizens, transferring those powers to the Cabinet. Furthermore, as this bill facilitates taking action against councilors claiming they do not cooperate with government decisions, it was highlighted as something completely contrary to the spirit of the decentralization system.

The member who introduced the bill, Hannan, stated that the main purpose of this amendment is to ensure council cooperation within a legal framework to expedite government development projects. However, members of the opposition MDP and several island councils have also been expressing displeasure and passing resolutions against this amendment.