Mayor Muizzu: LGA cannot interfere in Hulhumale’ issue

Male’ City Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said on Saturday that the Local Government Authority (LGA) cannot interfere in the Male’ City Council’s decision to cancel the Hulhumale’ land registry issued to Housing Development Corporation (HDC). 

Muizzu told Sun that while the LGA has certain legal powers, it does not have the legal power to annul decisions made by the city council. 

“If LGA made such a decision, it would not be a legal decision,” he said. 

Muizzu said that the LGA has not told the city council that its decision to cancel the Hulhumale’ land registry was invalid. 

“The letter they sent to us does not say that they annulled the decision. But they said in the letter that they don’t believe the council had the authority to make the decision,” he said. 

Muizzu said that though LGA said it would hold an inquiry into the case, the institution did not have the legal authority to hold an inquiry into the matter.  

He said that the city council’s legal team was looking into the matter. 

Muizzu said that local councils are allowed to make decisions under the Decentralization Act, and that the role of the LGA is limited to providing administrative support and monitor whether councils are operating in accordance with laws and regulations. 

“I believe that annulling decisions by councils, saying that they don’t approve of decisions that are made, these are all things that are outside of the chart,” he said. 

The city council had made the decision to cancel the Hulhumale’ land registry issued to HDC on December 8. HDC said the decision was unlawful, and filed a lawsuit against the city council over the decision the next day. The court has issued an injunction, ordering for the decision of the city council to be suspending until the court makes its decision in the case.