The 2025 Addu City referendum is a public vote in the Maldives were held on 25 October 2025. It asks residents of three island constituencies (Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo, and Feydhoo) whether to establish separate island councils for their communities, instead of remaining under the Addu City Council. This referendum follows a Presidential decree and the newly enacted Public Referendum Act (Law No. 15/2025) [1][2]
Background
Addu City, the southernmost city of the Maldives, was created in 2011 and comprises six inhabited islands. Since 2011 it has been governed by a single Addu City Council (with the Mayor and 13 members) representing all islands. Representation on the council is uneven: for example, the largest island (Hithadhoo) holds six seats, while Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo and Feydhoo hold only one or two each. [3] In practice, residents of the geographically detached islands (Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo) have long discussed forming their own local councils. Leading up to 2025, petitions were submitted by Addu residents seeking a review of the city's composition and proposing separate councils for Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo and Feydhoo.
In September 2025 the Maldivian Parliament ratified a new Public Referendum Act (Law No. 15/2025), which for the first time authorized referendums in specific local jurisdictions. [4] Acting on the petitions, President Muizzu convened the Cabinet on 5 October 2025 and approved holding a local referendum under the new law. [5] A Presidential Decree (No. 27/2025, issued 6 October 2025 under Article 115 of the constitution) formally called the referendum in Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo and Feydhoo. [6] (Three other Addu constituencies – Hithadhoo, Maradhoo and Maradhoo-Feydhoo – were excluded because no petition came from them.) The decree stated that the referendum would ascertain residents’ views on potential changes to Addu City's administrative structure. The Minister of Cities, Local Government and Public Works will lead a technical panel to plan any changes if the vote favors separation. Transparency Maldives and allied civil-society groups have expressed concern that the announcement-to-vote timeframe is very short, allowing little time for public awarenes. [7]
Purpose
The referendum's purpose is to decide the jurisdictional composition of the Addu City Council – specifically, whether the three constituent islands should remain under the single city council or establish their own independent councils. Under the amended ballot, each island's voters face a yes/no question on forming a separate council for that island.
In practice, a “Yes” vote in an island constituency would mean that island is removed from the Addu City Council and granted its own council with full authority and budget. A “No” vote would keep the status quo (all six islands together under one council). The government framed the referendum as fulfilling a campaign pledge and answering long-standing local demands. The precise wording of the question for each island (as set in Decree 31/2025) is: “Should a separate council be established for [Addu Hulhudhoo / Addu Meedhoo / Addu Feydhoo]?”
Conduct
The referendum is conducted by the Elections Commission under the authority of the President and relevant laws. It is open only to registered voters in the three affected constituencies of Addu City (Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo, Feydhoo). In total, 9,576 voters are eligible: approximately 4,355 in Feydhoo, 2,874 in Hulhudhoo and 2,347 in Meedhoo. [8] Ballot papers are printed separately for each island. Registered voters in Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo will each answer one question; Feydhoo voters will answer one question pertaining to their island.
Polling takes place on 25 October 2025, with voting hours from 08:00AM to 04:00PM GMT+5. Polling stations have been arranged as follows: five stations in Feydhoo, three in Hulhudhoo, three in Meedhoo, plus special ballot boxes in Malé (Kalaafaanu School) for Addu voters residing in the capital. After polls close, counting begins 30 minutes later. The Elections Commission expects to announce provisional results by Tuesday 28 October. According to the President's Office, the government will fully implement the outcome of the referendum, regardless of which way the vote goes.
Campaign
Campaigning ahead of the referendum has featured vigorous debate among local politicians, parties and community groups.
Pro-separation: Some Addu leaders support separate island councils. For example, Ibrahim Didi (PNC MP for South Feydhoo) and Abdulla Rahman (an independent MP for Meedhoo) have endorsed splitting the council, arguing that Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo and Feydhoo have long been “orphaned” by the larger islands and deserve control over their own affairs. [9]
Pro-unity: Others have urged voters to reject separation. Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar (of the opposition MDP) and MP Ahmed Azaan (Hithadhoo Central) have warned that dividing the city would weaken Addu's political influence. They argue that Addu's strength comes from being the country's second-largest population center, and that a unified council speaks with one voice. Azaan and Mayor Nizar suggest that uneven representation (e.g. Hithadhoo's dominance) can be remedied by internal reforms, without dissolving the city-wide council. In this view, splitting off Hulhudhoo/Meedhoo/Feydhoo risks fragmenting the region and reducing support for local priorities. [10] Former President Mohamed Nasheed similarly posted on social media that dividing the city would bring “no further benefit” to the islands and proposed focusing on growth instead. [11]
President Muizzu (founder of the ruling People's National Congress) says the referendum was held to honor pledges from his 2024 campaign and residents’ requests He has emphasized that the administration will not favor any outcome – “the government has no preferred outcome”– and will respect the voters’ decision. [12] At public meetings, Muizzu has noted that separate councils would each have full authority and budgets [13] but he stopped short of campaigning for either option. Muizzu's government also set up a city-planning committee (under the Ministry of Cities) to handle boundary and jurisdiction issues if the vote passes.
The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, which has historically dominated Addu, has questioned the process. MDP Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail urged lawmakers to seek a legal solution and criticized the referendum as “rushed,” calling for clearer explanations and alternative remedies by legislation. [14]
Civic NGO groups – including Transparency Maldives, Project ThimaaVeshi, the Maldives Local Councils Association and Zero Waste Maldives – jointly released a press statement condemning the tight timeline and limited public consultation. They warned that many Addu residents have not had adequate information about the changes and that important constituencies (e.g. Hithadhoo) are excluded despite being affected. [15]
Results
The referendum was decided by a turnout of roughly 47% (about 4,492 of 9,576 registered voters). The official count showed that Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo residents voted decisively in favor of forming separate island councils, while Feydhoo residents overwhelmingly voted to stay under the Addu City Council, In Hulhudhoo, roughly 67% voted “Yes” (for separation) and about 30% “No”, in Meedhoo the “Yes” vote was about 84% and “No”, about 14% whereas in Feydhoo only about 25% voted “Yes” and roughly 74% voted “No”. As a result of these votes, separate island councils will now be established for Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo, while Feydhoo will remain governed by the Addu City Council. [16]
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