News Desk
Former Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has called on the government to immediately revoke new directives requiring local councils to obtain written permission from the Local Governance Authority (LGA) before hiring any staff.
The order, issued in a letter signed by LGA Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Nimal, mandates that local councils receive prior clearance from the authority before recruiting employees. The restriction applies to both newly created and vacant permanent positions, contract roles, wage-based employment, and consultancy work—regardless of whether funding comes from the state budget or the council’s own revenue streams.
The LGA stated that the directive took effect as part of broader state expenditure reduction policies.
Criticizing the decision on social media, Shahid argued that blocking essential recruitment at the island level harms public services while government spending remains unchecked elsewhere.
“Appointing thousands of people to political positions and driving the entire state towards wastefulness, and then banning island councils from hiring essential staff, is unacceptable,” Shahid said.
Shahid asserted that cost-cutting measures should target waste within the President’s Office and ministries rather than impacting services delivered to island residents.
Separately, Shahid is preparing to launch the northern leg of his campaign in Kulhudhuffushi City as he seeks the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ticket for the upcoming presidential election. His trip to the north is scheduled for September 4 to September 7.
Shahid officially launched his campaign in Addu City after resigning from his post as MDP President, stating that running in an internal election while holding the party’s top leadership position would not be fair.
