In every home, voices tremble with worry. Families count every coin as food and electricity bills soar. Students abroad lie awake, anxious about how to cover tuition and living expenses, while local businesses struggle to get the dollars they need to import food, medicine, and other essential goods. Taxi drivers mutter in frustration, fearing that a new government-run taxi service could gradually eat into their meagre earnings. Small and medium-sized businesses seethe in frustration as unpaid invoices from state-owned enterprises and government contracts push them to the brink of collapse. Councillors lament their diminishing powers, unable to use local resources to support their communities. Across the nation, fear is mounting—not just of media silence, but also of an executive gradually taking over the judiciary—leaving citizens uncertain whether their struggles and their rights will ever be protected.
Press Freedom Under Threat
Journalists are watching anxiously as a controversial media regulation bill creeps through Parliament. The proposed law seeks to merge the Maldives Media Council and the Broadcasting Commission into a single body—chaired by a presidential appointee and vested with sweeping authority. Media outlets could be fined up to MVR 100,000 (roughly USD 6,500), have registrations suspended pending investigation, or even face website blocks and broadcast shutdowns.
The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) calls it “the complete death of free journalism,” condemning its vague terms and harsh penalties. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) warned that bypassing engagement with journalists “shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how to strengthen journalism and safeguard democracy.” Opposition leader Fayyaz Ismail described the bill as “another poorly concealed attempt by President Muizzu’s administration to dismantle media freedom,” giving “unchecked authority to block, ban, and fine independent media sources.”
Meanwhile, the existing Media Council (MMC) has refused to offer feedback, calling for outright rejection. Its members plan social media campaigns and hope to meet President Muizzu directly to demand the bill’s withdrawal.
Economic Hardship and Governance Encroachment
At home, a mother grimaces as apples triple from MVR 4 to MVR 12. Taxi drivers lament: “Competition isn’t about service or price anymore—it’s government machines that would be driving me out.” Students abroad delay term starts, while businesses scramble for scarce foreign currency. Contractors hit by unpaid government invoices warn: “We can no longer pay salaries; we won’t last another month.”
Local councillors speak of lost autonomy: “We cannot even run community centres or municipal ventures anymore—the resources have been stripped away,” says one island atoll councillor. The rollback of the decentralisation system and increasing government encroachment have left communities without the ability to manage local affairs.
Democracy, Judiciary, and the Rule of Law
The local council elections are not just about services or infrastructure; they are a litmus test for the health of democracy. Citizens are observing the steady erosion of checks and balances, including the judiciary, and a creeping centralisation of power that threatens local governance. The result may determine whether democratic norms and institutions can endure rising pressure, or if the country faces a rollback of the 2008 democratic transition.
“This is not just an election; it’s a referendum on democracy, governance, and citizens’ rights,” said a seasoned political analyst.
The Stakes
The Maldives faces a critical juncture and as voters prepare to head to the polls in April 2026, they are choosing more than council members. They are weighing the survival of economic fairness, local autonomy, press freedom, and the rule of law. The country’s future as a democracy may hinge on decisions made now, or risk sliding under greater government control.