Suspension of opposition councillors continue

All five members of the Ihavandhoo island council have been suspended without pay for three months over alleged obstruction of housing ministry staff.

A Local Government Authority official told Mihaaru on Thursday that police are investigating the incident and accused the opposition councillors of breaching laws and regulations and “repeatedly being a nuisance to the government and the public”.

The disciplinary action comes less than a month after the five Maldivian Democratic Party councillors returned from a three-month suspension.

Dozens of councillors have been suspended in recent months with 25 suspended in March for calling on authorities to implement a Supreme Court order to release political prisoners.

The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party condemned the suspensions as the actions of “a politically weak, law-breaking, dictatorial government without public support.”

More recently, all five councillors of the Gaaf Alif Villingili island council were suspended for issuing a statement condemning alleged police brutality towards a journalist.

Last week, the LGA suspended Ahmed Sajid, vice president of the Kamadhoo island council, for three months over delays in calling a vote to elect a new council president.

The LGA is a supervisory body chaired by Home Minister Azleen Ahmed.

Photo of Ihavandhoo councillors welcomed back to work last month from Raajje.mv