Political figures involved in wiping Hirimaradhoo off the map are now in hiding: Council President

The President of the Hanimaadhoo Council, Ali Ibrahim, has stated that the political figures responsible for removing H.Dh. Hirimaradhoo from the map are now in hiding.

Speaking on Friday's "Fashaairu" program, Council President Ali severely criticized the government's approach regarding the relocation of the residents of Hirimaradhoo to HDh. Hanimaadhoo.

Ali stated that the government’s decision to designate the residents of Hirimaradhoo as constituents of Hanimaadhoo was a calculated move to achieve a specific outcome in the Local Council Elections held on April 4th. He further alleged that the move was intended to secure a majority on the Hanimaadhoo Council by leveraging the votes of the Hirimaradhoo people.

However, Ali stated that because those results were not achieved, the political leaders involved in those efforts have since gone into hiding. He further noted that Hirimaradhoo Council is set to be dissolved on May 18, 2026, effectively erasing the island from the map.

They assumed that their own council would take over here, and that none of our representatives would be involved. That was their calculation. They believed that by dissolving the Hirimaradhoo Council and merging the votes of Hirimaradhoo residents with those of Hanimaadhoo, this outcome would be achieved. Once they failed to secure the council, the process of relocating Hirimaradhoo residents to Hanimaadhoo stalled, despite a clear Presidential Decree instructing all ministries to transfer Hirimaradhoo’s budget to the Hanimaadhoo Council and to make all necessary arrangements. Making these arrangements involves determining how Hirimaradhoo and Hanimaadhoo will be administered in this situation, as well as securing the budget required to manage affairs in both locations. However, to this day, none of these actions have been implemented.

Ali Ibrahim, President of the Hanimaadhoo Island Council

Referring to the budget for Hirimaradhoo, Ali stated that despite numerous efforts to secure the necessary funding, the island's budget has yet to be finalized. He further noted that expenses for the island's affairs are currently being covered through the Hanimaadhoo budget.

We held internal discussions and consulted with administrative officials, concluding that the Hanimaadhoo Council must cover these expenses from our own budget until a permanent solution is reached. After all, the residents of that island are our people. The council is responsible for operating the local preschool and Quran classes, as well as managing the supply and sale of cooking gas. With 11 employees stationed there, we must spend approximately MVR 260,000 per month on these essential services. Consequently, we proceeded with the expenditure. However, after we publicly disclosed the financial details and expressed our concerns on social media, we were informed that a budget would be finalized. As of yesterday, I have received information that the Hanimaadhoo Council will be allocated a budget of MVR 500,000 to cover the next four to five months.

Ali Ibrahim, President of the Hanimaadhoo Island Council

Furthermore, Ali stated that it would take approximately four to five years at the earliest for the residents of Hirimaradhoo to relocate to Hanimaadhoo. He explained that the land designated for housing is marshy, requiring extensive preparatory work. He further noted that no physical work has commenced to date.