Male’ Maldives: Satthu, the Head of Media for the Malé City Council, has accused the current administration and Minister of Infrastructure, Housing, and Urban Development Dr. Abdulla Muththalib of attempting to strip the city council of its statutory authority and dismantle the country’s decentralization system.
In a post on social media platform X, Satthu drew direct parallels between Minister Muththalib’s recent actions and those of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu during his tenure as Housing Minister under former President Abdulla Yameen’s administration.
She recalled that during Yameen’s presidency, the housing ministry systematically stripped the Malé City Council of its powers, effectively reducing its role to little more than maintaining birth and death records. She criticized Minister Muththalib for following the exact same path, invoking the Maldivian adage, “the small wheel turns as the big wheel turns.”
Satthu further alleged that after failing to secure a council majority despite spreading false claims, the administration is now resorting to stripping the city council’s powers. She characterized these moves as a deliberate attack aimed at destroying the legally established decentralization system.
The remarks come amidst heightened friction between the MDP-majority Malé City Council and the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing, and Urban Development over jurisdictional authority, local development projects, and official communication channels between the two bodies.
