When is democracy undemocratic? Addu's referendum and the autonomy dilemma

But should the larger population of Hithadhoo be able to outvote smaller populations, effectively rendering their choices insignificant?

Saturday's referendum – which asks the people of Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo, and Feydhoo whether they want to split from the Addu City Council and form separate island councils – forces the Maldives to confront these questions directly: Does local autonomy trump collective will? Or does majority rule mean smaller communities never truly get to decide their own fate?

The Addu City Council currently consists of 13 members, including the mayor. Representation, however, is uneven: Hithadhoo holds six seats, Maradhoo and Maradhoo-Feydhoo one each, Feydhoo two, Meedhoo one, and Hulhudhoo one. Counting the mayor – who is also from Hithadhoo – that gives Hithadhoo a majority on its own.

Speaking on the Maldives Independent's Ithuru Vaahaka podcast, Abdul Rahman (Ahdhu), an independent MP who represents the Meedhoo constituency, argued that the issue is fundamentally about the right of Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo, and Feydhoo to determine their own affairs.

"Decentralised governance means having the authority and discretion to decide on one's own affairs. This is what the referendum will result in," Ahdhu said.

This, Ahdhu argues, allows Hithadhoo to decide the fate of Addu City irrespective of the wishes of the other islands.

"This is a major problem," he said. "As Hithadhoo becomes more urbanised and concrete-heavy, the outer regions, particularly Hulhudhoo-Meedhoo, will become increasingly important for their natural beauty and environmental value. Yet people there fear that their land and resources will be managed without proper consultation or consent."

Ahmed Marzooq (Marey), a former footballer and key figure in the Maldives Olympic movement, who was also active during the 2008 democratic transition, takes a more cautious stance. Speaking on Ithuru Vaahaka, he said he had not chosen a particular side but urged that voters be properly informed.

"The people must understand the choices before them and the consequences of those choices. This cannot be a decision driven by political rhetoric or blind party loyalty," Marzooq said.

His concerns are shared by Transparency Maldives, which raised questions about the timing and transparency of the process.

The Referendum Act was ratified in mid-September 2025. The referendum itself was announced on October 6, amended on October 12, and scheduled less than three weeks later, only 19 days after the amendment.

In a statement issued on October 17, Transparency Maldives expressed concern about "fairness, transparency, and inclusive participation," warning that there was not sufficient time for citizens to be adequately informed about "the rationale for the referendum, the proposed changes, and the potential long-term consequences."

"Given its importance, the process must be transparent, inclusive, and fair, allowing sufficient time for public awareness and participation through broad consultations, accessible information, and robust debate to ensure voters make free, well-informed decisions," the organisation stated.

Marzooq echoed these sentiments.

Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar, who has publicly opposed separation, argues that Addu's strength lies in unity.

Speaking on Ithuru Vaahaka, he said: "Addu will lose its political punching power and significance if it disintegrates into separate islands." He added that the issue goes beyond administrative boundaries, touching the "very identity of what it means to be Addu," and that the government's intention was to dismantle Addu as a political entity.

There is merit to the argument as Addu has traditionally been aligned with the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, awarding president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih a majority in both rounds of the 2023 presidential election, unlike most parts of the country. Furthermore, MDP has never lost Addu council's majority or mayorship.

Hithadhoo Central MP Ahmed Azaan agreed with the mayor on social media last week, warning that separating from the Addu City Council would result in "fragmented, weak political views and diminished influence." He noted: "In the Maldives' political arena, the biggest advantage Addu people have is belonging to the second-largest population centre in the country."

However, while acknowledging that Hithadhoo has historically served as the atoll's capital, he also recognised concerns over unequal representation within the council. He suggested that these disparities could be resolved by reforming the system rather than dismantling the city structure altogether.

In parliament, Hithadhoo holds three seats, while Hulhudhoo, North Feydhoo, South Feydhoo, Maradhoo, and Addu Meedhoo each hold one, totalling eight. Adopting a similar model for the City Council would ensure fairer representation without breaking up Addu City. I have written about this issue in my last column.

Feydhoo North MP Ismail Nizar, of the ruling People's National Congress, has also voiced support for maintaining the current structure. "The connected neighbourhoods of Addu should remain together, considering the advantages and disadvantages of changing the current composition," he said last week.

For leaders like the Mayor Nizar and MP Azaan, fragmentation risks undoing years of progress toward decentralised governance, turning what was once envisioned as a unified city into a collection of competing administrative islands.

President Mohamed Nasheed declared Addu as a city on July 23, 2011 after an atoll-wide referendum passed with 54 percent support.

Among the six islands where voting took place in October 2010 – Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, Feydhoo, Meedhoo, and Hulhudhoo – four supported the formation of Addu City, while Meedhoo and Feydhoo rejected the proposal, and overwhelmingly so.

Despite opposition from some islands, the overall result showed decisive support for the creation of Addu City, which was subsequently established with Hithadhoo designated as the main administrative centre.

At the time, the then-opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party strongly objected to the move.

Today, Addu remains the second most populous region in the Maldives, with around 30,000 residents, although roughly 60 percent live in Malé or elsewhere. A stagnant economy, limited investment, and a slow-growing tourism sector continue to hinder the region's development.

The question that lingers is not merely administrative but both philosophical and political.

How should democracy balance collective will against local autonomy?

And what of the political repercussions? If Hulhumalé were to vote one day to separate itself from Malé City Council, would Malé's residents have no say? Could individual wards in larger cities like Thinadhoo or Kulhudhuffushi demand their own separation votes?

We must also remember that this is Addu we are talking about, a region that once declared itself an independent state, the Suvadive Republic, between 1958-63, forming its own short-lived nation.

If the constituent parts of Addu can decide to secede from the city, then, hypothetically, could Addu not claim the same right to separate from the Maldives itself? If that logic applies, would it not only be Addu that votes? Would the rest of the Maldives not have a say? Does this not risk reopening wounds that history had barely healed?

Addu's upcoming referendum, and the heated debate surrounding it, may ultimately define not only the future of its islands but also how the Maldives as a whole understands democracy, decentralisation, and belonging.

  

  

Saif Fathih is a columnist at the Maldives Independent and a serving member of the Malé City Council for Galolhu North. With his educational background in communications, international studies and public policy, he previously worked as a journalist, editor and public policy advisor, with roles including senior policy director at the ministry of national planning and editor of Ocean Weekly Magazine. Saif began his career as a radio producer and presenter at Minivan Radio, writer for Minivan Daily, and translator for the British High Commission and the European Union Mission to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. He is also the host of Ithuru Vaahaka, the Maldives Independent podcast.