The Election Commission of Maldives (ECM) has announced the final results of the historic referendum on the composition of the Addu City Council, revealing a split decision among its constituent islands.
While the majority of residents in Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo voted in favour of establishing separate island councils, Feydhoo opted to remain under the unified Addu City Council. The poll, held on Friday, marked the first time a public referendum was conducted under the recently enacted Public Referendum Act.
According to the ECM’s figures, a significant majority of voters in Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo supported the creation of independent island councils, signifying their desire to separate from the broader Addu City administration. Conversely, the people of Feydhoo chose to maintain their current status within the existing city council administrative structure.
In Feydhoo, the 'No' campaign secured a decisive victory with 1,784 votes, eclipsing the 'Yes' votes which totaled 616. With 36 invalid ballots, the total number of voters stood at 2,436 out of 4,355 eligible voters.
Conversely, Hulhudhoo saw a robust endorsement of the 'Yes' vote. A total of 723 residents voted 'Yes', significantly outweighing the 329 votes cast for 'No'. There were 1,069 voters in total, including 36 invalid ballots, from an eligible pool of 2,874.
Similarly, Meedhoo also demonstrated a strong preference for the 'Yes' option. The 'Yes' camp garnered 847 votes, compared to just 144 votes for 'No'. With 17 invalid votes, the total voter turnout was 1,008 from 2,347 eligible voters.
The referendum stemmed from requests made by some islands to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, seeking to establish their own distinct governing bodies.
ECM Deputy Chairman Abdul Rahman Salah Rashid confirmed to PSM News that the voting process proceeded smoothly and without incident, with no complaints registered with the Compliance Bureau. He praised the cooperation received from election monitors throughout the exercise.
The government had maintained a neutral stance on the referendum, refraining from specifically supporting or advocating for either outcome.