Vaavu Thinadhoo Council President Shujau Ali has said that his decision to join the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) followed notification from the Elections Commission (EC) regarding the dissolution of his former party, The Democrats.
His remarks come after the Local Government Authority (LGA) ordered his suspension from official duties, alleging that he switched parties during his current council term.
Shujau asserted that the decisions made by the EC and the LGA are legally invalid.
"I do not believe that joining another party following the dissolution of one's current party should be grounds for losing a council seat," said Shujau, who previously served as the President of the Vaavu Atoll Council.
According to the LGA, Shujau was officially registered as an MDP member by the EC on May 19. This registration occurred one month after the EC decided to dissolve The Democrats and notified the party of the decision.
The EC moved to dissolve The Democrats after the party failed to maintain the minimum requirement of 3,000 members as mandated by the Political Parties Act.
According to the Commission's letter, the party had only 2,716 members when the three-month period to increase membership expired on April 11. The Commission decided to dissolve the party under Section 30 of the Political Parties Act, issuing a formal notice on April 23. However, the public announcement of the dissolution was made last Wednesday.
The LGA sent a letter to Thinadhoo Council Vice President Samir Ahmed, instructing him to temporarily suspend Shujau from his duties and bar him from entering the council office. Vice President Samir has been tasked with assuming the responsibilities of the Council President during this period.
Under the Decentralization Act, any member elected on a political party ticket who switches parties during their term will automatically vacate their seat. If Shujau loses his seat over this matter, he will become the first councilor in the Maldives to be unseated due to the anti-defection provisions.
While several other councilors have joined the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) during the current term, the official dates of their registration in the EC records remain unclear.
