Ghafoor says relocating Hirimaradhoo residents to vote in Hanimaadhoo violates the law

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) interim chairman and Hanimaadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa on Tuesday said the government’s decision to relocate the people of Hirimaradhoo to Hanimaadhoo in Haa Dhaalu atoll ahead of the upcoming local council elections is unlawful.

Ghafoor made the allegation in a post on X shortly after President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu issued a resolution to relocate Hirimaradhoo residents to Hanimaadhoo.

“The decision on Tuesday not to hold the local council elections in Hirimaradhoo and to require the people of Hirimaradhoo to vote in Hanimaadhoo is definitely illegal,” he wrote.

Ghafoor had made a similar accusation last week, claiming that dissolving the Hirimaradhoo council and directing its residents to vote for the Hanimaadhoo council violated the law.

The Hirimaradhoo council was not available for comment regarding the President’s resolution.

ލޯކަލް ކައުންސިލް އިންތިޚާބު ހިރިމަރަދޫގައި ނުބާއްވައި، ހިރިމަރަދޫ ރައްޔިތުން ހަނިމާދޫގައި ވޯޓްލާންޖެހޭ ގޮތަށް މިއަދު ނިންމި ނިންމުަމަކީ ކަނޑައެޅިގެން ޤާނޫނާ ޚިލާފު ނިންމުމެއް.

— Abdul Gafoor Moosa (@mpgapo) December 30, 2025

The relocation decision comes a month after the government awarded a MVR 4 million project in Hirimaradhoo, an island with around 200 residents and a registry of 589 people. The resolution issued on Tuesday formally approves the relocation of the island’s population to Hanimaadhoo.

According to the resolution, the purpose of the move is to allow the Elections Commission to treat Hanimaadhoo as the constituency for Hirimaradhoo residents in the April 4 local council elections. After the elections, the Hanimaadhoo council will be responsible for administering Hirimaradhoo until it becomes uninhabited.

Once residents are settled and registered in Hanimaadhoo, Hirimaradhoo will be declared an uninhabited island. The resolution also removes Hirimaradhoo from the national list of inhabited islands, attaching the updated list as part of the document.

The amendment will take effect once the government publicly announces that all Hirimaradhoo residents have been relocated and registered in Hanimaadhoo.