MDP calls on government to reverse decision to depopulate Hirimaradhoo and facilitate local council elections

The main opposition party, MDP, has called on the government to revoke President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s decree that effectively dissolved the administrative status of HDh. Hirimaradhoo. The party further urged the administration to facilitate the necessary arrangements to hold a fresh council election for the island.

The MDP made this call during a press briefing following the submission of a formal complaint to the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM). The party raised concerns regarding potential human rights violations during the process of relocating the residents of Hirimaradhoo to another island.

Speaking to reporters outside the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM), Ali Niyaz, Chairperson of the MDP’s Decentralization Committee, stated that there is no longer any hope for the government’s housing project intended to relocate the residents of Hirimaradhoo to Hdh. Hanimaadhoo. He further noted that the construction of the housing units in Hanimaadhoo has come to a complete standstill.

Niyaz further stated that following the President's decree to convert Hirimaradhoo into an uninhabited island, the government had initially planned to complete the relocation of its residents to Hanimaadhoo within 18 months. However, he noted that given the current progress and the fact that physical works have come to a standstill, there is no longer any assurance that the project will be completed within the stipulated timeframe.

The MDP’s primary concern regarding this issue is the potential halt of the island’s administrative operations, which could disrupt the delivery of essential services to the public. Niyaz stated that with over 300 residents currently living in Hirimaradhoo, the community remains in a state of uncertainty regarding the future of their island.

There is no longer any hope that the government’s housing project to relocate the residents of Hirimaradhoo to Hanimaadhoo will proceed, as construction on the housing units has come to a complete standstill. Following the President's decree to vacate Hirimaradhoo, the government had initially planned to resettle the population in Hanimaadhoo within 18 months; however, the current pace of work suggests this goal is now unattainable. With more than 300 people still residing on the island, the community remains in a state of uncertainty regarding their future.

Ali Niyaz

The MDP has called for the immediate revocation of the decree to depopulate Hirimaradhoo, in order to safeguard the rights of its residents. Furthermore, the party urged the government to facilitate a fresh council election in accordance with legal procedures to strengthen the island's administrative governance.

In an interview with RaajjeTV regarding the matter, Hanimaadhoo Council President Ali Ibrahim stated that although the President had pledged to complete the housing units for the residents of Hirimaradhoo and hand over the keys within 18 months, the actual progress of the project remains mired in confusion.

Citing the residents of Hirimaradhoo, Ali Ibrahim stated that the community remains unclear on the government’s specific plan for their relocation and the decommissioning of the island. He further noted that the residents are particularly uncertain about the 184 housing units mentioned by the government, expressing concerns over their exact location and whether the legal registries for these properties even exist.