President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that constitutional amendments will eliminate the need to elect an Atoll Council in the upcoming local council elections. The President made the statement while addressing the residents of Mathiveri, Alifu Alifu Atoll during his visit to the island, as part of a broader tour of the Atoll.
In his speech, the President said he would propose amendments to the law in the future to further strengthen the decentralisation system. They are reforms intended to empower the people, he said, adding that each island council will work directly with the relevant ministries and companies.
The President said the Atoll Council has no purpose and therefore, the Constitution will be amended to abolish Atoll Councils.
"Every island council will bear witness to this. It is useless. So we will amend the Constitution. There will be no abolition of the Atoll Council without amending it,” the President said.
The President said the people would be more empowered by the abolition of the Atoll Council. He said he would propose the necessary amendment to the Constitution to abolish the Atoll Council when the next session of the Parliament opens. The President will also submit an amendment to reduce the number of councillors and the number of members of the Women's Development Committee.
The President explained that the amendment would propose a 3-member council for islands with populations of less than 2,000 and a 5-member council for islands with populations of over 2,000. The President said he would also propose amendments to change the Women's Development Committee in a similar manner. However, there will be no major changes in the Women's Development Committees in cities and city councils, he said.
The change to the Women’s Development Committee is that the Committee Chairperson will become a full-time employee elected by the people.
"We are proposing such important reforms. The purpose of this is to reform the existing burdensome system in the Maldives. The system must be shaped according to the needs of the people and in their best interest,” he said.
The President said he would also propose an amendment to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections together. However, it must go to a referendum of the people and the amendment will be passed after a yes-no vote.
Picnic Island for Every Atoll
In his speech, the President also announced that one island from each atoll will be developed as a picnic island. He said many islands have expressed concern that they do not have areas or islands where they can go on picnics.
“It is really difficult for island residents - they do not have a place to go on picnics with their families, and no area to take tourists that visit the island,” he acknowledged.
The President said this is also an effort to empower the people and promote tourism. He said that he is now working to fulfill the promise list before the end of the new term.
"Every promise we make is taken very seriously. This government will work with serious concern and in good faith,” the President said.
The President said the government has no intention other than to produce results.
School upgrades, health centre development
The President said that the contract for the stalled project at Mathiveri School has been cancelled and the work has been handed over to Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC). The building will be completed and ready for the new academic year, he said.
Regarding the Health Centre, he noted that while substantial progress has been made, the project is facing delays. He assured that work would be reassigned to another contractor to ensure timely completion and pledged to expand the facility and upgrade its services. Once the work is completed, the additional space of the health centre will be used to improve the quality of services, he said. The President said he would provide human resources to address the shortage of staff at the health centre.
The President further announced that the road development project for Mathiveri will be included in next year’s budget, with construction scheduled to commence in the same year. He also confirmed that the development of a handball court has been slated for this year.
The President also promised to build a mosque in Mathiveri. He said a mosque with a capacity of 500 people will soon be handed over to a contractor and practical work will begin shortly. It will be a modern mosque that will use renewable energy and include a classroom and library, the President said.
Highlighting the sports sector, the President said the construction of the handball court would be commissioned soon and the work would start within two months.
Meeting With Community Leaders
Earlier in the day, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu met with the Mathiveri Island Council, the Women’s Development Committee (WDC), and heads of local institutions to discuss the island’s most pressing development priorities. The meeting took place at the Mathiveri Council Secretariat.
During the discussions, Council members appealed for a solution for housing issues stemming from the airport development project. They also urged the swift completion of the classroom extension and highlighted difficulties in securing adequate medication and staffing for the health centre.
President Dr Muizzu assured the Council that the government would work towards practical solutions to the issues raised. He also shared updates on ongoing development projects, accompanied by Cabinet Ministers and senior officials from State-Owned Enterprises.
Land Reclamation and Airport Development Handed Over to MACL
As part of the visit, the land reclamation and airport development works were handed over to Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), during the President’s meeting with Mathiveri residents. The agreement was signed on behalf of the Ministry of Finance and Planning by its State Minister Hussain Imran. MACL was represented by its Managing Director, Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed.
Earlier in May, the government sought a contractor for the Mathiveri airport project on a cross-subsidy basis. The project involves the construction of a 1500-metre long and 30 metre-wide runway, a taxiway, apron, passenger terminal, fire station, and airport roads.
The President had earlier announced that the development of Mathiveri Airport would be among the new projects launched this year. He had said building an airport in Mathiveri is feasible economically, noting that the airport would open more doors for tourism. He said the airport would also bring economic benefits and prosperity. The development of the airport in Mathiveri will not only benefit the island and the atoll but also the tourism industry, he said.
Addressing the people of Mathiveri, the President said that MACL would reclaim the land in Mathiveri and develop the airport with its own investment. The President said 26.5 hectares of land will be reclaimed from the island for the airport, housing and other projects. The land reclamation and airport development work will be completed within two years and six months, he said.
"Everything needed for the airport, including the runway, terminal and all the buildings will be completed within 30 months and hopefully opened,” the President said.
Handover of Casa Mia
As part of the President’s visit to Mathiveri, land allocated to former Member of Parliament Abdulla Jabir from the Mathiveri Tourism Zone was handed over to the Mathiveri Council, in line with a pledge made by the President on 9 December 2024.
A 50-room guesthouse called Casa Mia is being operated on the land allocated from the Mathiveri Tourism Zone. The land was handed over to the Mathiveri Council by the President during the meeting with the island residents. Minister of Tourism and Environment, Thoriq Ibrahim handed over the official handover documents to Mathiveri Council President Ahmed Aslam.
Addressing the people of Mathiveri, the President said he hoped that the people would make full use of the land in the tourism zone and the government would cooperate in this regard.
The land was initially given to former Member of Parliament Jabir to operate a guesthouse for a period of ten years. However, the former government extended the contract to 50 years at USD 0.32 per square foot, against due procedure. As a result, the island council has suffered millions in losses, while the state has suffered a loss of USD 6 million due to non-payment of electricity bills and rent.