President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has provided firm assurances that no political appointments will be made to the local branches of the Local Government Authority (LGA) being established across the atolls. This statement follows the administrative restructuring necessitated by the dissolution of Atoll Councils.

Speaking on the state media program "Nation Chat," President Muizzu addressed allegations from opposition groups claiming the government intended to revive the historical "Atoll Chief" (Atolhuveriyaa) system. He clarified that the administration has no intention of returning to previous governance models or appointing political figures to regional administrative roles.

The President noted that he advised the LGA to name these regional entities "LGA Atoll Offices" and emphasized that they will be managed directly by the authority. He reiterated that appointing governors or political heads would be redundant and stated that his administration remains committed to a professional administrative structure.

Despite the change in administrative status, the President assured that the job security and salaries of existing atoll council staff would remain unaffected. These employees will transition into the LGA branches, which will continue to operate from current council buildings to implement LGA responsibilities at the atoll level.

According to the LGA, the primary purpose of these branches is to provide closer support, training, and technical assistance to island councils. This initiative is expected to strengthen the relationship between the central authority and local councils, facilitating better compliance with legal and administrative obligations.