Hoarafushi land reclamation project grinds to a halt as sandbags placed just two days before the election fail to hold

The President of Hoarafushi Island Council, Mohamed Waheed, has revealed that the land reclamation project intended for the construction of 200 housing units—a pledge made by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu—has come to a standstill. Waheed noted that while sandbags were laid to initiate the reclamation process just two or three days before the local council elections held on April 4, no further progress has been made on the site since then.

Hoarafushi Council President Mohamed Waheed has stated that no land reclamation work has been carried out on the island since sandbags were laid just two days before the April 4 elections—a move he described as a mere formality to suggest the project had commenced.

Speaking on Raajje TV’s "Haalu Kihineh" program, Waheed stated that land reclamation in Hoarafushi and the construction of 200 housing units in the area were among President Muizzu’s presidential pledges. Waheed noted that the government had sent a letter to the council on February 25th of this year seeking permission to proceed with the reclamation project. He added that after the council responded on February 26th stating they had no objections, it was expected that the work would move forward.

Waheed stated that while the residents had approved the reclamation of 50 hectares in Hoarafushi’s Land Use Plan, the government’s current proposal only accounts for 25 hectares. He noted that the council’s letter emphasized that increasing the reclamation area to 50 hectares remains a top priority for both the council and the people of Hoarafushi.

We previously communicated that the residents of Hoarafushi had approved a land-use plan to reclaim 50 hectares of land. However, the government’s recent proposal only accounted for the reclamation of 25 hectares. We formally stated in our letter that expanding the project to 50 hectares is a significant priority for both the council and the people of Hoarafushi. What we witnessed just two or three days before the recent Local Council Elections was a complete farce. There was a sudden, loud surge of rhetoric regarding the land reclamation project right as the election approached. As a council, we were entirely unaware of any such activities taking place. We received no information regarding the installation of a project board at the site. All we see are some sandbags piled up and sand gathered at the location for the supposed reclamation. If this is what they call a land reclamation project, then so be it. They simply set it up and left. Since then, there has been no news, and no official communication has been made regarding the matter.

Mohamed Waheed, President of the Hoarafushi Island Council

Waheed stated that while talk of land reclamation intensified just days before the local council elections, the council was never officially notified of such an undertaking. He noted that as rumors of the project’s commencement spread throughout the island, an inspection of the site revealed only a collection of sandbags and a pile of accumulated sand. However, Waheed observed that no further progress has been made since the sandbags were placed. He added that the council has yet to receive any formal communication regarding the project.

Candidates from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) secured all seats for Ha. Hoarafushi in the elections held on April 4. Furthermore, in the referendum, 70 percent of the residents of Hoarafushi voted against the government.

Citizens are alleging that the government launched numerous projects leading up to the recent local council elections and the referendum as a deceptive tactic to mislead the public.