President Dr Mohamed Muizzu on Monday issued a presidential decree to conduct a referendum on the jurisdiction of Addu City, following a petition from some residents requesting changes to the composition of the Addu City Council.
The referendum will determine whether separate councils should be established for Addu Feydhoo, Addu Hulhudhoo and Addu Meedhoo. Voters will also decide whether to create a single council - Addu Hulhumeedhoo Council - to administer both Addu Hulhudhoo and Addu Meedhoo.
The decree was necessitated by ongoing discussions regarding decentralised governance efficiency and local identity protection. The President authorised the referendum using powers conferred by the Constitution alongside the recently ratified General Referendum Act.
The primary objective of the referendum is to seek the opinion of residents concerning the establishment of dedicated councils versus unified administration across selected wards.
The referendum is scheduled to take place either on 24 or 25 October with all eligible voters registered within the concerned islands permitted to participate, ensuring the final decision on local administrative composition is made by direct democratic mandate.
President Dr Muizzu has affirmed that the government will remain impartial in the upcoming referendum. In a post on his official X account, the President underlined that the government has no preferred outcome in the referendum, and reiterated that the administration would fully respect and implement the decision of the people.