The bill was accepted by parliament with 55 votes in favor and eight against, out of 63 members present during the vote.

Under the proposed amendments, the Cabinet would be granted the authority to remove designated areas from a council’s jurisdiction. Following such a decision, the Local Government Authority (LGA) would notify the relevant council, after which the land would come under government control. The bill also makes it mandatory for councils to hand over land required for state projects.

In opposition to the bill, the MDP staged a protest outside Parliament on Tuesday under the slogan “Reject the Looting Bill.”

Nasheed argued that the legislation could pave the way for the unjust seizure of land belonging to island communities and said parliament must withdraw the bill. He further called on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu not to ratify the legislation should it pass through parliament.

Speaking during the parliamentary debate, Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir of the MDP warned that the amendments could undermine the decentralized system of governance and weaken the powers of local councils, raising concerns that the bill conflicts with the Constitution.

However, Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah of the PNC countered that the bill was not a government submission, emphasizing that individual lawmakers have the right to introduce legislation on their own.

The bill was submitted by MP Abdul Hannan, who previously introduced the controversial Media Control Bill.

As opposition to the legislation continues to grow, a public petition calling for the bill’s withdrawal has so far collected more than 678 signatures.