Minister of Cities, Local Government and Public Works Adam Shareef Umar has revealed that discussions are underway between the President's Office and the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to propose legal amendments for the official designation of Thinadhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll as a city.
Speaking to PSM News, Minister Adam highlighted that the previous administration had granted city status upon Thinadhoo without adherence to the law, despite President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's pledge to initiate the change. He affirmed the new administration's acceptance of Thinadhoo's city status, but said that it was merely nominal, lacking any follow-up actions.
Additionally, Minister Adam underscored the extensive work required to transform Thinadhoo into a genuine city. He highlighted the need to establish a city council and appoint a mayor. He said that an election needs to be held to choose a mayor but that an amendment to the Decentralisation Act stipulates that elections can only be held after the terms of the existing councilors expire. He highlighted that the previous government had the supermajority when the amendment was passed in Parliament, but that they had not considered the amendment when granting Thinadhoo city status while the island council's term was not close to expiring. He proposed two options to resolve the issue, which was to wait until the term concludes or amend the law, considering the next council elections are in 2026.
Furthermore, Minister Adam disclosed that efforts are underway to confer genuine city status upon Thinadhoo. As such, he said that ongoing discussions with the President's Office and the AGO aim to address complications that arose due to the lack of legal advice sought by the previous administration. He noted the government's substantial development efforts in Thinadhoo in 2013 but expressed that progress had slowed in the last term, pledging a resumption of the initiatives.